Cruel Wanting
by Teacup Kitten
Summary: Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate. Will he find her in time, or will he be too late?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

If Love Is What You Need, A Soldier I Will Be...

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate.

 **Author's Note:** This is my first Veela story, so I apologise for that in advance. I've been planning this one for a long time to make sure I got everything just right.

 **Featured Review:** Since this is the first chapter of this story, there isn't a Featured Review. For my newer followers, Featured Reviews is something I do all my works. It's a way to say thanks to those who stop and took the time to let me know what they thought. I pick a review and say why I liked it, if it made me smile or how it helped me.

 **Special Mentions:** Again, since this is the first chapter there will be no special mentions. They're like Featured Reviews, but I show the reviewers' names instead.

 **. . . . . . .**

Draco Malfoy woke up to the sound of someone knocking on his front door furiously. Groaning softly, he dragged himself out of bed and took a quick glance at the clock. Five am. Someone was seriously going to regret they were ever born. Putting on his robes, he left his bedroom and marched down the stairs to see his House Elf, Mitzi, opening the front door. Standing in the doorway was a very panicked and messy looking Harry Potter. Harry had recently celebrated his twenty first birthday and during the same week he'd been promoted to Head of the Auror's Office. It was a great honour for Harry, seeing as he was so young. Normally the Heads of Departments were well into their mid forties or early fifties. Out with the old and in with the new, he guessed. Draco had been working with him for almost three years now. While Harry had entered the Auror's Office as soon as he turned eighteen, Draco had waited until he was nineteen to make sure it was definitely the career he wanted to go into, and that he would be financially capable of supporting himself.

During their time as Aurors he'd actually grown close to Harry, much to the surprise of others. He wouldn't go as far as saying they were best friends, but friends nonetheless. They'd worked many cases together, so ended up having to spend a lot of time with one another. They started with making small talk, which turned into friendly chit chat, which later evolved into full on conversations. Draco ended up getting invited to Harry and the Weasley girl's wedding, he even went to the Stag do. During that small amount of time before the wedding, he'd formed a slight bond with Ron. They weren't exactly friends seeing as they'd still have the odd shouting match now and then, but they managed to put aside their differences and get along, well at work at least. Outside the office was a completely different story. Normally, Draco could put up with their crap most of the time, but waking him up at five in the morning was just taking the piss.

"Potter, I swear to God if you don't have a good reason for pounding on my door and disturbing my sleep, I will hex you so hard your grandchildren will feel it." Draco sighed, rubbing his temple to try and ease the pain that was forming there.

"Mitzi tried to open the door before it got too noisy for Master Draco, Mitzi is sorry." The House Elf apologised, causing a soft smile to form on Draco's face. Originally, Mitzi had belonged to his Father but one night Draco had given her a sock so she could be free. The sweet little thing had been so happy and overjoyed she pledged her eternal service to him. At first he'd told her not to worry about it, but when she'd followed him after he'd moved out of his parent's house, he knew she wasn't going to drop it. In the end, he'd agreed to let her be of service, but not all the time. He gave her a room of her own and never expected her to do anything she didn't want to. Yet she made him dinner almost every night and cleaned the Manor while he was out. Even though he told her hundreds of times not to do too much work, she did anyway. Maybe she just enjoyed being busy? He could never tell what was going on with that elf.

"It's alright Mitzi, why don't you go get yourself some breakfast?" Draco suggested.

"Mitzi will make some for Master Draco too!" Mitzi beamed, rushing towards the kitchen. After she was out of sight, Draco shot a foul gaze at Harry and all but yanked him into his house, closing the door behind them. After closing the door, he looked at Harry expectantly, crossing his arms slowly while performing his famous scowl.

"Why exactly are you here Potter, it's five in the morning and do I need to mention that today is my day off?" Draco sighed, his face full of irritation with slight hints of anger.

"It's Greyback. We've found him." Harry stated with urgency. Draco found himself momentarily shocked. They'd been hunting Greyback ever since the war ended against Voldemort. He'd managed to escape being captured and had been on the run ever since. He was the last of the Dark Lord's followers that was out there. If he was caught, the Death Eaters were finished. There would be no one else left to bring to justice.

"Why didn't you say that sooner?! Give me two minutes! Mitzi, would you save me some breakfast for later? Something's come up and I have to leave immediately." Draco called out to his House Elf, who responded with a simple 'Of Course Master Draco'. The amount of times he'd told her to call him just Draco was insane, yet she insisted on the whole Master thing. Strange Elf. Still, he loved her to pieces.

Running up the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him, Draco was soon in his room and getting dressed. Once he looked decent, he quickly combed his hair and brushed his teeth, then ran back down the stairs at twice the speed he'd ascended them. Harry was waiting in the exact same spot Draco had left him in. Without saying another word, the two were out of the door and had apparated to the Ministry of Magic's Headquarters. Waiting for them were a large band of Aurors, with the occasion Hit Witch and Wizard here or there. They were instantly approached by Weasel...Ron.

"He's been sitting in the Forbidden Forest for the last twenty minutes. Luckily, since it's the holidays we don't have to worry about any students stumbling into him. He hasn't move since he got there, if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was waiting for someone." Ron explained, talking directly to Harry but occasionally glancing at Draco.

"Great detective work there Weasley." Draco smirked.

"Shut it Malfoy, you may find I accidentally miss Greyback when we go after him and hit you with a hex instead. We'd hate for that pretty face to get messed up." Ron spat.

"You think I'm pretty? Such the flatterer." Draco gasped, placing his hand over his heart. Ron rolled his eyes, but smirked quickly letting Draco know all was forgiven.

"Enough you two, we've got more pressing matters to be concerned about. Ron, you're with me. We'll approach Greyback from the front and provide a distraction. Malfoy, you're with Zabini. Sneak up on him from behind and hex him if he tries to make a run for it." Harry ordered, glancing around at his team with an expression and posture of authority. He definitely made a good leader.

 **. . . . . . .**

Draco watched from behind a tree as Harry and Ron slowly approached Greyback. Potter had explained they were going to try and talk him in first, so no magic was to be used unless things went wrong and Greyback initiated a fight. Of course Greyback was going to start a fight, but as always Potter insisted on being civil and giving the target the benefit of the doubt. That stupid tactic was going to get him killed one day.

"Hey Draco, got any hot friends you could hook me up with?" Blaise whispered, glancing over at Draco for a brief moment before returning to his hiding place behind a large pine tree that rested just a few feet to Draco's right. It provided the perfect cover, and was almost identical to the pine tree that he was hiding behind.

"What happened with Pansy? Weren't you two getting alone?" Draco asked quietly.

"We were, until she started talking about clothes." Blaise shuddered.

"She designs clothes for a living Blaise, she's going to talk about them." Draco sighed.

"She's a fashion designer? Since when?" Blaise questioned in disbelief, while watching Greyback intently. So far everything was going well. Potter's plan was working.

"Since two years ago, long before you two started dating. Don't you remember? We went out for a big dinner to celebrate her getting the job. Her parents even took us to the flipping opera." Draco groaned, amazed by Blaise's lack of perception.

"Really? I thought that was just for fun. I probably wasn't listening." Blaise shrugged. Sighing in irritation, Draco turned his gaze back to Greyback before he ended hexing Blaise instead. He cared greatly for his best friend, but sometimes he could be really thick. Moments later Greyback sent the killing curse straight at Harry, who only just managed to dodge it in time, then turned tail and headed straight for Draco.

"Looks like we're up." Draco smirked to Blaise. The pair stepped out from behind the tree just as Greyback reached it. Blaise cast a quick binding spell, causing ropes to tie around Greyback's wrists while Draco stuck his leg out and tripped the werewolf over before he could even react. The loud thump that followed even made Draco wince.

"Blood traitors! All of you! You will pay for this, mark my words!" Greyback snarled.

"Oh shut it. After two years you would have thought I'd be used to all the crap they spout, but it still pisses me off." Blaise sighed, hauling Greyback to his feet with some help from Draco. Surprisingly, there werewolf wasn't struggling that much.

"Nice work you two. Looks like you didn't inflict any injuries this time." Harry smirked.

"The day's still young." Draco shrugged, casting a quick glare at Greyback. Rolling his eyes, Harry knelt down to pick up Greyback's wand when he paused for a second. It was then Draco noticed what Harry had seen. Laying on the floor was a small ring, silver with a green gem lodged into the band. Carved into the inside of the ring were the words 'You own my heart, now and forever – Lucius". Draco's heart stopped in his chest and his face became even paler than normal. That was his Mother's ring. Not even caring about protocol, he turned on Greyback and punched him in the face, causing the werewolf to fall down on the ground with a loud thump. He didn't stop there. Within milliseconds, Draco was kneeling on the ground and punching him again repeatedly, over and over, ignoring the increasing pain forming in his knuckles.

"Where's my Mother?! What have you done to her you piece of shit?!" Draco yelled, hitting Greyback right on the nose, breaking it upon impact. Before he could strike again, Draco found himself being pulled away from Greyback by Ron and Blaise, both telling him to calm down, but Draco wasn't listening. He struggled furiously against them, trying to break free from their hold so he could punch Greyback again.

"We'll take him back to the Ministry and use some Veritaserum on him, he'll be telling us where she is in no time. Just calm down, mate." Ron sighed as he held Draco back.

"There's no time for that! God knows what this piece of shit has done to her! She could be dying!" Draco protested, struggling against Ron and Blaise as hard as he could.

"This is what he wants Draco! The more you fight him, the longer it'll take for us to get access to the Veritaserum. Just calm down. We're going to find her, just stop struggling, please." Blaise begged. After a few moments, Draco stopped struggling against them. They slowly let him go and he marched off before he could change his mind. He went to apparate back to the Ministry before his anger got hold of him again. They were right, Greyback was just trying to delay the inevitable.

Moments later the group was back at the Ministry and making their way to one of the interrogation rooms. When Draco attempted to enter the room, Harry stopped him by firmly grabbing his shoulder. Before Draco could even think to yell and demand that Harry move, the raven haired wizard spoke up, cutting Draco short.

"You can't go in there Draco, you know that. There's a conflict of interest. I promise, we're going to find her, just wait outside and I'll come find you as soon as we know where she is." Harry promised. Sighing softly, Draco shrugged Harry's hand off his shoulder and nodded hesitantly. Once again, he knew he had to back off. If he didn't he'd just end up making things worse. Greyback would use Draco's emotions to his advantage and delay the finding of his Mother. Running his hands through his hair, Draco slowly made his way to his office. He needed to be as far away from that interrogation room as possible. He'd march straight in there once Potter was gone if he simply waited outside. Once inside his office he collapsed into his chair and let his head fall onto his desk, letting out a yell of frustration and anguish. People passing by were probably wondering what the hell was going on, but he didn't care. He needed some kind of outlet, or he was going to go mad. Shortly after he'd yelled, there was a soft knock on his door. He recognised the gentle taps instantly and sighed.

"Come in." He called, not even bothering to raise his head from the desk. He didn't need to. He knew who it was. The sound of the door opening and then closing softly only proved his point. No one else was that polite, not in the Ministry anyway.

"Draco, what's going on? I saw you all marching in here with Greyback, but Harry was refusing to let you in the interrogation room. Has something happened? Did you break protocol again?" She demanded, her voice soft but authoritative.

"He's got my Mother, Granger. He dropped her ring when we were grabbing him. He's probably got her locked up in some dungeon, having done god knows what, and I did nothing to protect her. This is all my fault." Draco whispered, refusing to look up at the witch who was now right next to him. His friendship with Hermione had proved the most surprising, to himself especially. They'd started talking at Harry's wedding, mainly just making fun of how everyone was dancing after having one too many drinks. Then when he started getting invited to the Weasley's family dinners they started talking more and more. To his surprise, they had quite a lot in common, besides being the smartest in their year back at Hogwarts. As time passed, they ended up working together and formed a close bond. She was probably one of his closest friends.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you stop thinking like that right this instant! This is not your fault, you couldn't have know Greyback would go after your Mother." Hermione sighed.

"But I should have! I should have had people guarding the Manor until Greyback was caught! If I hadn't been so blind she'd be safe and he wouldn't be sitting in that room with that bloody smirk on his face!" Draco yelled, suddenly pushing himself up into a standing position. His chair fell back onto the floor from the sudden movement, causing a loud crash to vibrate across the walls.

He could sense her jump in shock, but he refused to look at her. Instead he closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall, trying his best to calm down. The last thing he wanted to do right now was get into an argument with Hermione. Not now. She was probably the only person who could keep him from going insane right now. After a few moments of silence, he heard her take in a deep breathe before she began to speak.

"Draco, I..." She started, only to be stopped when the door flew open.

"Draco, he told us where he's keeping your Mother! Come on, let's go!" Harry exclaimed. Not wasting a second, Draco grabbed his wand from off his desk and followed Harry down the corridors, leaving Hermione standing there in his office for several minutes after he was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

Won't Somebody Come Take Me Home?

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate.

 **Author's Note:** This is my first Veela story, so I apologise for that in advance. I've been planning this one for a long time to make sure I got everything just right.

 **Featured Review:** _**Ndavis77: Wow! What an exciting first chapter. Well done! That bit with Blaise was hilarious. That is the stereotypical male not listening unless it's important to him. I literally laughed out loud! I'm hooked now and I can't wait to see what happens next!**_ Thanks for this lovely review! I can't tell you how many times it made me smile. I'm glad you liked the bit with Blaise, but truth be told, I didn't write that part aiming for it to be funny. But I'm glad it came across that way! I don't this story to be serious all the time, so I'm glad you got a giggle out of it.

 **Special Mentions:** **Percabethbooklion & JoeDanger. **You both had very similar reviews, so let me say this: it's not going to be that easy, Draco has a tough time ahead.

 **. . . . . . .**

It was so bloody obvious, there ought to have been a sign painted on the door. Of course Greyback would have taken her to the Shrieking Shack. It was the last place Draco would have thought to look. As soon as he was cleared, Draco stormed into the building and started searching all the rooms he could, desperate to find his Mother. He caught a glimpse of Harry and Ron marching up the stairs, wands at the read just in case Greyback had left any defensive charms or booby-traps. He cleared the ground floor in a matter of minutes, then rushed up the stairs to see if Harry had found her. His hopes were soon confirmed when he found himself hearing the sound of Harry's voice calling out to every Auror in the Shrieking Shack, bouncing off the rotting walls.

"I've found her! She's up here!" Harry called. Draco ran as fast as he could, reaching the source of Harry's voice when he entered the last room on the very top floor. Upon entering the room, he found himself struggling to hold back the bile that was forming in his throat. There were three women chained to the wall, all three he recognised. The first was Fleur Weasley, Bill Weasley's wife. The second Luna Lovegood, one of the Wizarding World's leading Zoologists. Shacked in the very corner of the room was his Mother, hair falling messily down her shoulders, cuts all over her body. He didn't hesitate when he ran over to her, cupping her cheeks in his hands to make her look up at him. When he met her face, he was instantly met with the fact she was both unconscious and freezing to the touch. He had to wake her up, get her out of there.

"Mum! Mum, wake up, please!" Draco begged, feeling the tears forming in his eyes. He then looked around the room, trying to find a connection between the three women in the room. He knew Greyback had a grudge against him and his family, the Weasley's too. He knew Lovegood had fought against Voldemort during the final Battle. But what were all three doing there? Why had Greyback taken them? What did he want?

Above his Mother, stuck to the wall were several newspaper clippings and pieces of paper. Most of them were snippets about people who had gone missing, but then noticed something that stood out.

 **Friday 12th February 1808**

 **MALE VEELA DISCOVERED FOR FIRST TIME IN 300 YEARS**

 **Potioneers and Naturalists demanding to see the specimen for research.**

 _ **Yesterday evening at roughly seven pm, a male Veela made itself known to the Wizarding World. This is the first time a male Veela has been documented in over three hundred years and Naturalists from all over the world are keen to get up and close with the creature, while Potioneers are keen to study it and find out what natural resources it's body produces. With new research techniques available that weren't three hundred years ago, we can discover much more about this rare gender of the species than we ever hoped. We will keep you informed as this story progresses. Written by Olive West.**_

Looking up at the small snippet, Draco creased his brow in confusion. Why was Greyback so interested in Veelas? Granted, they were rare and valuable in the black market, but something told him that Greyback wasn't interested in money. It was power he wanted. Glancing at the wall again, he soon found another Veela article.

 **Saturday 16th July 1808**

 **VEELA UNDER THREAT OF EXTINCTION**

 **Newly discovered Male Veela murdered in cold blood.**

 _ **Naturalists had been planning to breed the male Veela with several females of it's kind in order to raise the population levels back up, but just last night the creature was found brutally murdered in it's own home. No suspects have been named yet, but Naturalists world wide are severely concerned for the survival of the species. Full Veelas are becoming more and more rare to find, seeing as most female Veelas are now opting to breed with Wizards in order to pass the gene on, meaning the children will be born Half Veela, half Human. In time, the gene could prove to be erased completely and eventually send the Veela into extinction. Written by Olive West.**_

Fleur was a Veela. Draco remembered Ron and Harry discussing her possessiveness over Bill last Christmas when she refused to leave him alone with any other women. She'd explained to them it was a natural part of being a Veela, once they found their mate they were incredibly protective. He knew a possible sign of someone being a Veela was having pale blonde hair. Looking at the three women, he sighed softly. All three had the exact same shade of hair colour. Why had Greyback brought them here?

"I'm so sorry Mum, I should have got to you sooner." He whispered, tears running down his cheeks. His eyes widened when he heard his Mother cough softly.

"The gene didn't affect me Draco..." The hoarse whisper of his Mother responded.

"Mum! Oh thank god you're awake! I'm going to get you out of here!" Draco stated, using his wand to unlock the shackles on her wrist. He noticed Harry freeing Fleur and Luna in the corner of his eye. Helping his Mother up, Draco hooked his arm around her and guided her towards the door as quickly but as gently as he could.

"Draco listen to me..." She wheezed, but was stopped when a coughing fit halted her words. Frowning slightly, Draco noticed the large red mark covering her throat.

"Mum, don't talk, you'll only make it worse." Draco ordered, leading her out of the room and down the stairs. She was far too weak to apparate, so someone would need to send for a Healer to tend to her wounds before she could travel.

"No, Draco you don't understand...!" Narcissa protested, eyes full of worry and fear.

"It's going to be ok, I promise I'll never let that piece of shit touch you ever again." Draco vowed, anger and drive echoing from his voice. Greyback would pay for this.

"It's not him I'm worried about, Draco please, let me explain...!" Narcissa snapped, wincing slightly when a large shot of pain was sent through her throat.

"Explain what?" Draco asked, looking at her with concern.

"There's Veela blood in our family. One of my ancestors was full Veela and she bred with a wizard. The gene has been passed down our family for generations, but for all that time it has been dormant. Until you. Draco, you're a Veela, and a powerful one at that. I didn't realise until now, when that awful man dragged me into that building and started rambling on about how he was going to create the perfect Veela, one that would obey his every command and make him ever more powerful than the Dark Lord. He said he was going to find the grave of the Male Veela from all those years ago and take some of the D.N.A from it, using some kind of Muggle Contraption. He said there was a way he could impregnate us with it. He became outraged when he discovered that my Veela gene wasn't active, so moved on to those poor young girls. When he discovered Miss Lovegood was not a Veela, his anger only escalated." Narcissa started. Draco was about to intervene and tell his Mother that she was nuts but she stopped him by raising a finger when he opened his mouth to speak. There was no way he could be a Veela. It was impossible. Wasn't it? It had to be.

"He seemed to relax a bit when he confirmed Fleur was a Veela but it's needless to say he wasn't happy that she was only a quarter. When he left to go gather more information, that's when I began to worry you might have active Veela genes, so I asked Fleur what happened when her genes activated. Fleur explained to me she got a really bad fever that lasted for a week when she was sixteen, then had a huge growth spurt out of nowhere. You got sick when you were sixteen Draco, you got that fever that had you bedridden for a month. Then you suddenly shot up like lightning. When she explained the beginning of her transformation to me, I knew, I knew that you had an active gene. I'm sorry Draco, I'm so sorry." Narcissa sobbed, clinging onto her son like he was going to run away if she let him go. Draco slowly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug and closed his eyes as he tried to process the information he'd just received. He was a Veela, the first one to be active in the Malfoy family for generations, and a powerful one according to his Mother. Greyback was trying to create the 'ultimate' Veela by digging up the D.N.A of a Male Veela that had been dead for two hundred years, which he would then inject into active female Veelas. Sighing softly, he rubbed his Mother's back to try and soothe her.

Glancing up, he noticed Harry and Ron standing just a few feet away. The pair had probably heard the entire thing from the way they were staring at him. Fleur and Luna were also looking at him in shock, but awe too. Looking away from them, Draco guided his Mother to a log that rested on the ground and helped her sit down on it. While it wasn't the best form of comfort in the world, it was better than nothing. She needed to rest, and he needed to sit down before he passed out. What the hell was happening? A few hours ago he'd been sleeping in his bed thinking he was a normal guy. Now he was coming to terms with the fact that he was a Veela. A fucking Veela. Of all the things! It didn't take long for the Healers to arrive and begin assessing the three women. While his Mother was being tended to, Draco started walking away from the group. He needed to get away from them, clear his thoughts, make sense of the situation. If Greyback knew Narcissa's gene was inactive, did that mean he'd come for Draco next? In a mixture of rage and confusion, he started punching a nearby tree as hard as he could. It didn't matter to him that he was making absolutely no damage to the tree, but instead was tearing his knuckles to ribbons, he just needed to take his anger out on something. After a few minutes he stopped and fell to his knees, staring at his bleeding knuckles. If he was a Veela, he was going to need to know everything he could about the species. Lovegood knew everything there was to know about Magical Creatures, not to mention Fleur was a living breathing Veela. He could probably get decent information from them, but he also wanted to check his library and look through some books first. Standing up, he took a few moments to prepare himself before he disapparated back to his home. He had a lot of work to do.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

Long Lost Words, Whisper Slowly To Me...

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate.

 **Author's Note:** This is my first Veela story, so I apologise for that in advance. I've been planning this one for a long time to make sure I got everything just right.  
 **Featured Review:** " _ **Percabethbooklion**_ : so excited for the new chapter. When will the pinning/searching for the mate start? Bc if his gene has been active for a few years now, he should have had the compulsion to find his mate by now."

 _Sorry to have kept you waiting so long, I've been very busy and writer's block has been hitting me hard. In response to your question, I'm taking a little bit of a different direction to Veelas, but don't worry, it will happen soon enough!_

 **Special Mentions:** Ndavis77, Chester99

 **. . . . . . .**

It was currently one in the morning, yet Draco was nowhere near ready to go to bed. It may have been something to do with the two cups of coffee he'd had consecutively, or it could have been the fact that his brain was still processing the information he'd received the previous day. Either way, he wasn't heading to bed anytime soon.

"Draco! I think I've found something!" The voice of Harry Potter suddenly announced. Getting up from the floor of his personal library, Draco ran past the various rows of books before he eventually found the one Harry Potter had been searching. The raven haired man was holding a very old book in his hand, a hardback with what appeared to be a very dark brown leather cover. The title of the book sparked hope within him.

" _ **Understanding a Veela, Volume One**_

 _ **By J. Franks."**_

 **A few hours earlier...**

Draco sighed as he arrived on his doorstep. His efforts in order to find out more about the Veelas had been unsuccessful. Both Fleur and Luna could only offer information about females, seeing as they were the most common sex of the species. Males was almost unheard of, he only bit of information he'd been able to acquire was the fact that males had been occasionally known to inherit strange abilities, but somewhere down the line this had affected the population, hence the lack in male numbers. He figured that if he was going to find anything, it would be in his personal library. Thanks to his position as a Malfoy, he'd inherited many books from ancient days long ago, books that were not available to the public that had been handed down through generations. If he was going to find anything, it would be in those books.

"Malfoy, there you are!" A voice sighed, sounding very out of breath. Turning around, he saw Ron Weasley running towards the porch as fast as he was able.

"What's wrong? Is everything alright? Is my Mother ok?" Draco asked, worry suddenly filling his entire being. Why else would Weasley be running towards him? The man never ran unless it was an emergency! Either that or if he saw free food.

"What? Oh, she's fine." Ron stated, huffing and puffing when he reached Draco's side.

"Then why are you running over here, yelling at me like the world is about to end?" Draco demanded, glaring at Ron while silently hoping he'd collapse from fatigue.

"You've been missing for half the day mate. Everyone's been wondering where the hell you were! Harry issued a search just in case you were doing something stupid." Ron explained, and the reality of the situation hit Draco like a ton of bricks. Yes, he'd received some distressing news, but vanishing from plain sight without telling anyone his plans was a bit of a stupid idea. For all they knew, he could have been planning to off himself. Sighing softly, Draco ran a hand through his hair and looked at Ron.

"I'm sorry. I've just been trying to find out as much as I can about the whole thing. I figured it would be better to go in prepared than completely clueless." Draco shrugged. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Ron smiled sympathetically.

"It's not me you're going to need to apologise to." Ron stated.

"On a scale of one to ten, how mad is she?" Draco asked, almost fearfully.

"The Dark Lord himself would have been afraid of her right now." Ron chuckled.

 **. . . . . . .**

There had only been a few times in his life when Draco had been genuinely fearful for his life. The first had been when the Chamber of Secrets had opened in Hogwarts. While he'd heard the tales and stories from the previous time, that didn't stop him worrying. There was a massive snake slithering around that could kill people by looking in their eyes for crying out loud, what twelve year old wouldn't be afraid?! The second time followed a few years later, when he'd been given the Dark Mark and ordered to kill Dumbledore. It had been made very clear by the Dark Lord that should he fail, he'd be killed. Then there was the time in the room of requirement, when Goyle had set everything alight and ended up dying because of it. Thanks to Potter and Weasley, he and Blaise had been saved just before they would have met the same fate. But what he'd felt during those moments was nothing compared to this.

"What were you thinking?! How could you possibly have been so naïve?!"She yelled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think about..." Draco started, but was interrupted instantly.

"No, you didn't think! For crying out loud Draco, you have friends and family that have been assuming the worst for hours on end, scared about what might have happened to you!" She snapped, running a hand through her hair in an infuriated manner.

"I know, I am aware of that. I didn't realise at the time what disappearing would make people think, and I am sorry. I know I should have told someone where I was going, or what I was doing. I promise, it will never happen again." Draco stated, keeping his eyes locked with hers the entire time, hoping she would the honest words that he spoke.

"It better not, because I've missed two important meetings while I've been searching for your sorry ass. I don't intend to be set back any further, is that understood?" She sighed, watching as he nodded almost too quickly for it to be humanly possible.

"Sorry to interrupt Miss Granger, but the Minister of Magic is here to see you." A blonde woman suddenly stated, poking her head through the door briefly before going.  
"I guess I should get going then." Draco smiled, getting up from his seat.

"Look, Draco I know you're going through a tough time right now. I would completely understand if you felt like you wanted some time alone to deal with it, but I wouldn't recommend it. You have people who care about you here, let them help." Hermione suggested, placing her hands on his shoulders before pulling him into a tight hug.

"Just let me get my head wrapped around it first. Then I'll bring in the Cavalry." Draco chuckled, hugging her back, then pulled away and left the office.

 **Present Day...**

He'd spent the next few hours after that trying to figure out what to do with himself. He knew the best port of call would be searching the library for information, but there was thousands of books in there and he couldn't possibly search them by himself. So that's when he'd decided to take Granger's advice, and he'd called a few friends to come and help him search. Potter, Weasley, Theo and Blaise had arrived just mere moments after he'd owled them, all keen to help in any way that they could.

It would have been easier if he'd had the time to organise the books in a categorical manner, but he'd been far more focused on becoming an Auror than maintaining a functional library. So he'd given each man a piece of parchment and a quill so they could write down anything they found. In truth, Draco honestly doubted he had many books with information about Veelas in them. Granted, he knew for a fact he owned a few books about Magical Creatures but that was probably it at best. There was definitely no book specifically dedicated to Veelas. So, his plan was to gather as much information as he could from his library in order to create his own little personal book on male Veelas, a hand guide if you will, to help him get through this new stage of life.

"Where the hell did you find that? I've never seen it before." Draco mused, taking the book from Potter before quickly examining it. There was no dust on it, so it was definitely a new addition to the library, but not one he'd put there himself.

"It was in between the Malfoy Ancestry records and Herbal Remedies. Just out of curiosity, why are you wearing a dress in all of your baby photos? Did your parents want a girl but get you instead, so pretended for as long as they could that you weren't a boy?" Harry smirked. Rolling his eyes, Draco started heading back to his spot in the library where he'd been reading before Potter had called out for him.  
"It wasn't a dress, Potter, it was a nightgown. Much less constricting than those one piece little suits parents seem to dress their kids up in today." Draco scoffed.

"Oh a nightgown? So, a dress then?" Harry smiled, sitting down beside Draco.

"Shove off before I hit you round the head with this." Draco smirked, brandishing the thick book in his hand like a well prized weapon. It didn't take long for Harry to raise his hands in surrender and look down at the notes Draco had gathered so far.

"Chapter one, a basic understanding: For many years Veelas have often been compared to Sirens, creatures that according to Greek Muggle Mythology would use their beautiful voices and appearance to lure in men and devour them. However the differences couldn't be more clear. I have been living amongst a clan of Veelas for six months now, and they have shown no signs of being anything like these fictional creatures. While Veelas are beautiful, they do not use this to their advantage. In fact, most are completely unaware of how they are perceived by others and go about living their day to day lives just as we would. All a Veela cares about is living peacefully and happily amongst themselves and wizards." Draco muttered, reading out from the book.

"So this J. Franks guy was living among Veelas? Jealous much, he got to live surrounded by unearthly beautiful women. It's just not fair" Blaise sighed, appearing behind Draco from apparently out of nowhere. The man was holding a cup of coffee in one hand, and the parchment Draco had given him in the other. Draco wasn't surprised to see there was hardly anything on it when he glanced over at Blaise. None of them had had much luck until Potter had found the book Draco had held in his hands.

Ignoring Blaise's comment, Draco looked back at the book and turned over the page.  
"Chapter two, gender differences. While both genders grow fangs in order to mark their mate, a female Veela does not require to inject her chosen male with venom. Originally, the female would bite her mate and inject the venom into his bloodstream, this was rumoured to make his sperm more fertile and increase chances of producing an heir. However, after many years, the substances has proven to no longer have that effect. Instead, the female uses it for purposes similar to an aphrodisiac, as well as to temporarily heighten the senses of their mate. Males on the other hand do have a use for the venom. Once a male bites his mate, the venom has the same aphrodisiac effect that a female's venom has, but it also changes the very coding of the woman's womb, making it only compatible for a Veela heir." Draco continued, pausing slightly to run his tongue over his teeth. He couldn't feel any fangs. Had his not developed yet?

"So when you find a mate, you physically change her womb when you guys bang? Bit creepy dude, no offence." Theo scoffed, sitting down opposite Draco.

"No, genetically. I'm guessing this is a measure taken just in case male Veelas have mates who are human, not Veelas. Obviously human women are not designed to carry Veela children in their wombs, so the venom of the male Veela changes that in order to make it suitable for a Veela child growing in the womb." Harry shrugged.

"Since when did you become a grand Veela know it all?" Ron scoffed, taking a bite out of a chocolate muffin that Draco had no idea where the red head had gotten from.

"We spent years learning from Hermione and how to read between the lines. I guess it finally paid off." Harry shrugged. Draco chuckled softly before turning his attention back to the book resting on his lap. Turning the page once again, he couldn't help but notice how short the chapters were, considering the book was quite thick he'd naturally assumed there would be swarms of information about each topic.

"Chapter three: Veela Moods. Due to their overprotective nature when it comes to their mate, as well as their tenancy to remain secretive about their heritage, the moods of a Veela can sometimes be hard to tell. Considering the dangers that some of them possess, especially when their mate is threatened, knowing how to tell what their feeling is a good way to avoid getting into any life threatening danger.

\- Purring: Normally when in the company of their mate, or having physical contact with them, a Veela will start purring. This is an indication that the creature is calm and feels safe. In this mood, the Veela is not a danger to anyone or anything.  
\- Growing Claws: In the event a Veela grows claws, this is a sign that they are very angry, so the best thing to do is to walk away and not say anything other than "It's alright, I'm leaving, I do not intend to cause any harm".  
\- Sprouting Wings: When their mate is threatened, a Veela with sprout wings from their back. The size of the wings normally depend on the age or power of a Veela, and are normally black in colour, however some have had various shades of grey. To show you are not a threat, you must kneel down on the floor and either curl up into a ball or turn so your back is facing the Veela. This lets the Veela know you mean no harm.  
\- Gold Eyes: A Veela with gold eyes is lusting for their mate. Steer clear from them.  
\- Red Eyes: A Veela with red eyes is starting to get annoyed or angry. Stay away.  
\- Black Eyes: A Veela only has black eyes when their mate has been hurt, and will kill." Draco added, relieved that some information about both emotional and physical situations had been given. He now knew he could possibly grow claws and wings. Running a hand over his shoulder blade, Draco couldn't help but feel something move underneath it upon contact. It almost felt like feathers were moving under his skin.

"Whoever this guy was, he really must have put his life on the line in order to find this information. Gotta give him credit for that." Harry scoffed, respectfully and with admiration. Draco nodded in agreement. He knew female Veelas were dangerous, so he could hardly imagine what it must have been like dealing with a male Veela.

"Is there anything in there about what to expect, you know, when you change?" Ron asked, his voice slightly muffled from the muffin that was currently being chewed in his mouth. Tutting in disgust, Draco turned his attention back to the book, flicking through a few pages that were purely full of hand drawn pictures before finding it.

"Chapter four, the turning process. Contrary to most beliefs, a Veela does not simply change over night. The process takes many years and can vary depending on the life style of each individual. For example, when a Veela turns sixteen this is when the changing process begins. Their genes activate and start making changes to the body so it can adapt for later on in life. On their sixteenth birthday, a Veela will suddenly become sick with a fever that can last between one week and two months. Depending on the strength of the Veela gene depends as to how quickly this process ends." Draco started, but was interrupted when the book was snatched out of his hands by Theo.

"Sixteen? That's when you had that weird fever, illness thing." Theo stated.

"I am very well aware of that, Theo." Draco sighed, reaching for the book only to watch as Theo stood up, holding the book in his hands while scanning the text.

"That means you've already gone through the first phase. We need to find out how far down this process you are. You could have missed something." Theo pointed out.

Standing up, Draco snatched the book out of his friend's hands and started trying to find the point where he'd left off before continuing to read out to the group.

"The second phase happens within the next two years. During this time period, the senses become heightened and increased dramatically, making them much more aware and sensitive to things like sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. Their reactions also become much quicker and are much lighter on their feet. This occurs during the final stage of the second phase, when the bones start to become much thinner and lighter. This induces a state of almost unbearable pain that lasts up to a day." Draco continued.

"Oh! Remember a week before your eighteenth birthday! You could barely move! It lasted for almost the entire day, you said it felt like your bones were changing." Blaise announced, causing a concerned look to spread through the group. He was already past the second stage. They had less and less to prepare for.

"The third phase can happen anywhere between the ages of eighteen and twenty one. This is where a Veela starts producing a pheromone that will make them seem more attractive to members of the opposite gender. However, the pheromone will not effect anyone who is in a committed relationship, the reason for this is unknown and after years of researching no one has been able to understand how the pheromone is able to produce this effect. The Veela will also become much stronger." Draco read.

"Well, that one was kind of obvious. But he was a hit with the ladies from a very young age, much younger than eighteen. Fourteen at the earliest I believe." Blaise scoffed.

"Yeah, but those were just school girl crushes. Remember when he was nineteen, at Harry's birthday and he had that group of girls basically chasing him for hours?" Ron pointed out. The group made a murmur of agreement, nodding their heads slowly.

"As I recall, you hooked up with them all. Fun foursome was it?" Theo smirked.

Choosing not to answer the question, Draco turned his attention back to the book.

"The fourth and final phase of during hits the Veela at aged twenty two. This is often described as the most painful and feared stage of the turning process. The Veela is almost ready to go out into the world and find a mate, however the body still is in need of one more change before they are able to do this. On their twenty second birthday, a Veela starts a week long process where their very blood undergoes a genetic reboot if you will. In order to be compatible with the fully active Veela gene, the blood must adapt in order for the body to be able to survive. This process is normally described as feeling like their blood is on fire, burning them from the inside out. Only fifty percent of the Veela that start this process actually survive." Draco finished. Silence filled the entire room, concern filled the eyes for everyone present except for Draco, whose eyes were filled with fear. Putting the book down, he covered his face with his hands.

"It's four months till your birthday isn't it?" Ron asked, his mouth now free of muffin.

"Yeah, so it's possible I've only got four months left to live." Draco scoffed.

"Hey, don't say that. We're going to get you through this and help you in anyway we can. You'll survive Draco, then we'll find you mate. I promise." Harry smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

Don't Get Too Close, It's Dark Inside

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate.

 **Author's Note:** This is my first Veela story, so I apologise for that in advance. I've been planning this one for a long time to make sure I got everything just right.  
 **Featured Review:** _**Hanable-13:**_ _**took me a moment to realise Hermione was the one mad at him and not his mother...though I'm sure Cissa is annoyed he's run off...but she did just tell him he's not human. Can't wait until he starts hunting for his mate...though he has four months before that starts...what's he gonna do till then?**_ _Well, I hope I surprise you with this chapter! Turns out, Draco might find his mate a little earlier than expected, this chapter will explain why. But thank you for that lovely review, it really did make me smile. And I'm glad you mentioned the whole thing about you believing it was Cissa and not Hermione moaning at him. That was the impression I was going for. I hope you enjoy this chapter and future ones to come!_

 **Special Mentions:** andherestograce  & elizabethrose1974

 **. . . . . . .**

 _He had no idea where he was, or how he'd gotten there, but he didn't intend on leaving any time soon. It was such a beautiful place, with fields of the greenest grass, flowers of the sweetest scents and a crystal clear sky that seemed to never meet the horizon._

" _Draco?" A voice whispered on the wind, catching his attention instantly. He could feel his heart suddenly stop for a mere second, then resume beating twice as fast. He could smell her scent in the air. It was a soothing yet alluring combination of parchment, Butterbeer and cinnamon. She was distressed, he could feel the slight elevation in her heartbeat. Wasting no time, he ran as fast as he could, using her scent to guide him._

 _It wasn't much long later when he found her, but not in the way he imagined. Standing between them was a piece of glass that seemed to stretch out forever to both his left and right, as well as up towards the sky. It was glazed, so he couldn't make out exact details of anything that stood behind it. He could see the outline of his mate. Even through the glazed glass, he could tell she was beautiful._

" _Draco, you need to find me. Please, I'm scared." Her voice echoed. Feeling her fear emanate throughout his entire body, Draco used all of his strength to start punching the glass that stood before him. After what was just minutes, but felt like an eternity, he hadn't even made a scratch. It was far too thick for him to break through. Falling to his knees, he hung his head in shame and rested it against the glass. He'd failed her. Suddenly, he felt a warmth travel across his body. Looking up, he noticed she'd rested her head against the glass where his was. Her hand was also pressed against it, so slowly he raised his own and put it against hers. A soft smile spread across his face._

" _I promise, I'll find some way to find you." He whispered._

Gasping in shock, Draco bolted upright and looked around quickly to establish his surroundings. He was still in the library and from the looks of it, he'd been sleeping on the floor using books for pillows. Potter and Weasley had curled up in a corner of the room, sleeping back to back with a stack of books by each of their feet. Blaise had settled for a chair and had fallen asleep while reading from what Draco could tell. Theo on the other hand was no where in sight. He'd either left to go back home, or he was already awake and was wondering about the house no doubt to find some food.

Getting up, Draco quietly crept out of the room so as not to disturb his unscheduled guests, then began walking down the stairs towards the kitchen where he hoped to find Theo. Unsurprisingly, he found his friend sitting on one of the work surfaces eating a sandwich while Mitzi was demanding he get down from the counter she'd just cleaned.

"Master Theodore must get off from there! Mitzi only cleaned it moments ago!" Mitzi complained, glaring at Theo in a manner that would have killed him if it were possible.

"I'd do as she says Theo, you don't want her to get angry." Draco chuckled. Sighing softly, Theo slid off from the counter and leant against it instead, raising a brow.

"Better?" He asked the house elf, who nodded happily and rushed out of the room, probably intending to do all the chores that Draco had requested she didn't do in the first place. Nothing stopped that elf from doing what she loved, and despite Draco's concerns for her health she continued to surprise him by outdoing herself everyday.

"I don't know why you keep her around, she nags you just like a mother. Last time I checked, you already had one of those. Why would you want two?" Theo scoffed.

"She's like family to me Theo, I've known her most of my life." Draco shrugged and stood beside his friend, leaning up against the counters too so he could relax slightly.

"Don't start complaining to me when she grounds you for being out too late." Theo smirked, nudging Draco in the side playfully. Rolling his eyes, Draco smiled softly.

"I had a strange dream last night, Theo. Something to do with my mate." Draco stated.

"You know who she is?!" Theo gasped, almost dropping his sandwich in shock.

"No. I wish I did, that would make things so much easier. She was standing behind this glass that was glazed, so I couldn't tell who she was. It may not have even been her, it could have just been my brain playing tricks on me, but it felt so real. She felt so real." Draco explained, sighing when he noticed the crude smirk form on Theo's face.

"She _**felt**_ real did she?" He chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh grow up, it isn't like that. It was the emotional connection that I felt. I could smell her scent, feel her heartbeat and her emotions. It was like there was a second heart beating within my own." Draco shrugged, looking down at the floor while he spoke.

"Hold on, you said you could smell her scent?" Theo inquired.

"Yeah, why?" Draco asked, looking up at his friend with genuine confusion.

"Follow me." Theo ordered, marching out of the kitchen like a man on a mission. Ignoring the sandwich that had been left on the counter, Draco rushed after him.

Moments later, the pair were standing in the library and examining the book that Harry had found last night. Theo had flicked through several pages until he found what he was looking for. Looking at the page, Draco started reading out what was written.

"Chapter Four: Finding a Mate. When the turning process is complete, a Veela has until their next birthday to find and mark their mate. There is only one way for a Veela to find their mate: scent tracking. With their heightened senses, a Veela will now be able to smell the scent of others more clearly. The scent of their mate will be much stronger than the scent of others and more often than not it will be something that appeals to the Veela, making it irresistible to them. Once a Veela has identified the scent of their mate, they will be able to smell them whenever they are within a certain radius. They will also be able to smell what their mate is feeling when close by, so will know if they are upset or in trouble." Draco read, looking up at Theo in shock.

"Do you realise what this means? You may have been given your mate's scent early! You got an extra four months to find her, when normally you'd only have a year!" Theo exclaimed, not caring on the current status of his sleeping companions.

"But I don't understand, it says the Veela is only able to find their mate after the turning process is complete. I'm not at the final stage yet." Draco pointed out.

"I realised that too, but then I noticed this. Read that paragraph." Theo instructed, pointing to a small passage of text just below what Draco had just read out.

"A Veela, in rare cases, has been known to find their mate earlier than the normal process predicts. While the reason for this is unknown, some Naturalists have their theories. Some believe that, just like many young witches and wizards, a Veela may hit puberty early, so therefore will biologically speaking have the hormones and chemicals of an adult. This may trick the Veela gene into believing the young person is actually an adult, so therefore is able to go off and find a mate." Draco continued, then stopped reading and looked up at Theo with a wide grin. Wrapping his arms around his friend, Draco hugged the young man tightly, practically beaming with delight.

"Theo! You're a genius!" Draco laughed, gently pulling away from his companion.

"Tell me something I don't know. Now, what did you smell? What scent did this girl have?" Theo asked, putting his hands on Draco's shoulders to try and calm him down.

"Oh! Um, I think it was parchment, Butterbeer and cinnamon." Draco mused.

"Right, all we have to do now is drag you around London until that nose radar of yours picks up on Mrs. Right." Theo smiled, but the expression soon faded when he realised the reality of his words. It would take them ages to search London, months possibly. But what if Draco's mate didn't even live in London? What then? He was kind of glad that the Veela gene gave them a year to find the woman in question. It was almost an impossible task, but he was determined to see it through, for his friend.

"When you two are quite finished yelling your heads off, do you mind telling the rest of us what's going on?" A groggy voice suddenly asked, making the pair turn around. Standing behind them had been Harry, Ron and Blaise who all looked very tired.

"Well, long story short. There may have been a reason Draco seemed appealing to women earlier than the gene expected. He hit puberty early, which also means the gene has given him another ability earlier than normal. He can smell the scent of his mate, which means we've got an extra four months to find her." Theo explained.

"That's great! But, how does he know what she smells like?" Blaise inquired.

"He had a dream where his mate was standing behind glazed glass, so he couldn't see her but he could smell her." Theo shrugged, then closed J. Franks' book.

"In all fairness, that was a dream. His mate could smell completely different in reality." Harry stated, making Draco look down slightly. Potter had a point. His dream could have simply been a trick of the mind thanks to the stress of the situation he was in.

"Well, either way he's gonna know her as soon as he smells her right? We've got an extra four months no matter what she smells like." Ron smiled. Nodding in agreement, the group started planning on how they were going to go about searching London for Draco's mate. They knew full well there was a chance she could be anyone, witch, muggle, half breed, you name it. They had to cover absolutely everywhere. They had to be thorough. Draco's life was depending on it, so none of them wanted to miss a thing.

. . . . . . .

It had been years since she'd faced the metal fence of Malfoy Manor, but it only felt like yesterday that she'd been dragged through them by the Snatchers and tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange. Taking a deep breath, Hermione Granger pressed the bell that rested on the side of the fence then waited patiently for a response. Although it was only a few seconds, it felt like she'd been waiting there for hours before they finally opened. Holding her head high, she walked down the pathway until she reached the door where Narcissa Malfoy was waiting for her, smiling genuinely at Hermione.

"Miss Granger, it's lovely to see you again." Narcissa greeted before gently pulling Hermione into a friendly hug. When they broke apart, Hermione offered her a smile.

"I have something for Draco. I know he doesn't live here any more, but I didn't want to disturb him at the moment with all things considered. I doubt he'll want to see anyone right now except family. But I found it in one of my old moving boxes. I thought it might be helpful." Hermione explained, pulling a book out of her bag, then handed it over to Narcissa who examined the cover briefly. The book was a small hardback covered in a beautiful blue casing. The title was written in a clear but pristine silver print.

 _ **The Untold Veela**_

 _ **K. J. Simmons**_

"My goodness, this must have cost you a fortune Miss Granger. I've heard of this book and it's incredibly rare. I can't possibly take this from you." Narcissa gasped.

"Please, it would make me feel better knowing it's going somewhere that it will be of use rather than gathering dust in my cupboard. I'm not going to need it anytime soon, besides, I think given the circumstances, it should belong to Draco anyway." Hermione shrugged, offering a polite smile again to Narcissa before heading back to the fence.

"Miss Granger, wait. Thank you for this, it really is very gracious of you. I'm sure Draco will appreciate. I do plan to visit him during the week and see how he is doing, so I'll be sure to pass it on then. But in the mean time, if you don't mind my asking, would you care to join me for a cup of tea every now and then? It does get quite lonely with Lucius being in Azkaban and Draco living away. I find you quite the intelligent young woman, and I'd love to spend some time getting to know you." Narcissa requested.

"You would?" Hermione asked, not bothering to hide the shock written across her face.

"Yes, I would. If you're free now, I was just boiling the kettle when you rang the bell. You could join me for a cup if you'd like?" Narcissa offered.

"I do have a couple of things to do at the Ministry, but it won't take me more than an hour. I can always pop back once I've finished if that's alright?" Hermione suggested.

"Sounds great. I'll prepare some snacks just in case you get hungry. I'll see you in an hour Miss Granger." Narcissa smiled, then rushed inside before Hermione could protest. Smiling softly, Hermione started walking down the path once again before she disapparated back to the Ministry to finish up on her work.

 **. . . . . . .**

"Seriously Draco, how hard is it to find one smell?" Blaise sighed in irritation.

"Hey, I'd like to see you try and find one smell through a million different ones! With the pollen from plants, smells from foods and drinks, not to mention the sweat from several hundred people it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack!" Draco snapped.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think of it like that. I gag when I smell gone off milk, so your brain must be going into overdrive right now." Blaise chuckled nervously.

"That's one way of putting it. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm smelling the entire of London right now. I think I can only smell what's in my range of sight, plus maybe a few meters beyond that give or take. But it's so overpowering, I can barely tell one smell from another." Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Well, the book did say that the your mate's scent would be stronger than anything else. So if you can't find something that stands out, and I mean really stands out, she's obviously not here. How about we try somewhere else?" Blaise suggested.

"I suppose that's not a terrible idea." Draco smiled, standing up from the coffee table. Just as he was about to pay for the coffee, his entire body froze. Blaise noticed how wide his eyes were, like a cat on the hunt, almost as black as the night.

"Draco? What is it? What's wrong?" Blaise asked, concerned for his friend.

"Butterbeer. I can smell Butterbeer." Draco muttered, looking around frantically.

"Wait, seriously? How strong is it?" Blaise inquired, feeling the excitement rush through his body. On the first day of trying out their theory, it had already been a success! At this rate, Draco would be settled down with his mate before his birthday!

"Strong. I can't smell anything else. Wow, compared to this my dream was nothing! Come on, we've got to find her, quickly!" Draco chuckled, running out of the café faster than Blaise thought it was physically possible. Sighing, he looked at the waiter.

"I guess I'm paying then." He smiled, pulling out his wallet.

It wasn't long before the smell of parchment started hitting Draco's nose too, merging with the already overpowering scent of Butterbeer. The smell of those two scents alone was beginning to drive him crazy, he had no idea how he'd cope when the cinnamon decided to join in. It was starting to look like that he wasn't going to find out when all of a sudden, the beautiful smell of his mate's scent suddenly began to fade.

"No!" Draco cursed under his breath. She must have been reaching the edge of his range. He had to find out what direction she went in and fast! There was a small chance he'd run into her again. If he lost her know, he might never find her again.

Pausing a moment, Draco took a deep breath and turned right. Relief flooded through him when her scent started to become stronger once again. He hadn't lost her, not yet.

"Drakey-poo!" A shrill voice suddenly called, making a unpleasant shiver crawl down his spine. He chose to ignore the voice, finding his mate was far more important. However, his task was halted when someone grabbed his arm and yanked him back.  
"Draco! I was talking to you! Did you not hear me!?" Pansy Parkinson demanded.

"I'm a bit busy at the moment Pans, so if you'll excuse me..." Draco sighed, trying to get past her only to be stopped when she yanked his arm back again.  
"But this is important!" She protested, an irritated hint outlining her voice.

"Trust me, Pansy, it's nothing compared to what I'm going through. Now back the fuck off." Draco snarled, pulling his arm violently away from the young woman, causing her to stumble forwards slightly. If it hadn't been for Blaise suddenly catching her, she would have had an unfortunate meeting with the pavement.

"Draco! What the hell?!" Pansy snapped, then gasped in shock when she noticed the red hints forming in Draco's grey eyes. Her own eyes then looked down at Draco's hands. His normally pristine and short cut nails appeared as if they were growing. The ends moved inwards, forming what seemed to be hooked claws.

"Draco, calm down. She didn't mean any harm." Blaise stated softly and calmly.

Noticing the fearful look in Pansy's eyes, Draco looked down at his own hands and recoiled in shock. The claws were definitely something to be afraid of. They made his Aunt's cursed blade look like a child's toy. Putting his hands into his pockets, Draco kept his head low and started walking away from the pair. He'd already lost his mate, he didn't need to lose two of his closest friends. He couldn't afford to.

"Draco, wait!" Blaise called, running after him once he was sure Pansy was alright.

"Stay away from me, Blaise. I'm a monster." Draco sighed.

"Sweet Merlin, you are not a monster. You're a Veela. Unfortunately we lost her scent but we'll get her next time. Don't worry." Blaise stated confidently, placing his hand on Draco's shoulder briefly before yelping in shock and pulling his hand away.

"What? What is it?" Draco asked, confusion and concern echoing through his voice.

"Either I'm g-going crazy, or...or you have f-feathers moving u-under your skin." Blaise stuttered, looking at Draco's shoulder like it was possessed.

"Oh, I noticed that last night. I think the wings are under the skin." Draco stated.

"I-I see. I thought they'd just...you know, materialise out of thin air." Blaise chuckled.

"Apparently not. Seems they're growing under my skin." Draco shrugged.

"No offence, but you have to be the creepiest guy I've ever met." Blaise laughed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

It's Getting Harder to Breathe, it Hurts Deep Inside

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate.

 **Author's Note:** **PLEASE READ!** I hope you all enjoy the addition of Flora Malfoy in this chapter, who I've decided to add from my other story Angel's Deserve to Die. Also, could you all please visit my profile and vote on the poll I have up currently? Thanks!  
 **Featured Review:** **Random person in wonderland:** "Darn that Pansy lol I was so ready for Draco to realize who his mate was! I cannot wait for the next chapter the bro squad is great and amusing, Hermione and Narcissa are on their way to having a fantastic mother daughter type of relationship, and of course more Dramione!"

Haha, sorry about that. I wasn't going to make it that easy for Draco, got to keep him waiting for a little bit longer before he discovers the identity of his mate. Torment him just that little bit more *evil laugh*. The bro squad, I love that! That's what they're called from now on. I hope you enjoy what's to come, I plan on making the moment his mate's identity is revealed very dramatic indeed.

 **Special Mentions:** **Chester99** – Damn you for catching onto my plan early! xD

 **. . . . . . .**

Hermione watched as Narcissa spoke hastily with a black haired woman at the end of the hall. The woman Narcissa was speaking with seemed to be of a formal status. She wore a black knee length dress, accompanied with a white long sleeved jacket and a pair of white high heels. Everything Narcissa said, the woman was writing down on a notepad with extreme speed Hermione didn't know it was possible to possess.

"I'll make the arrangements Mrs. Malfoy." The woman nodded, then left the Manor in the blink of an eye. Once the woman was gone, Narcissa smoothed down her dress and rejoined Hermione in the living room where they had been conversing before a ring at the door had interrupted them. Sitting down opposite her, Narcissa sighed softly.

"I'm terribly sorry about that Miss Granger." Narcissa apologised.

"Oh, it's quite alright. If you don't mind my asking, what was that about? You seemed awfully stressed while talking to that woman." Hermione commented.

"Well, as you are aware I've been holding several fundraising campaigns over these past few years. In a few weeks I'll be holding a ball for the War Orphans Trust Fund, Yvette is the one who helps me put everything together. She goes around hiring everything we need and makes sure things run smoothly on the day of the event. Unfortunately one of the musicians had an accident and will not be recovered when the ball comes around. Yvette was just clarifying if I still wanted the band to play if they brought in a replacement." Narcissa explained, taking a sip of her tea between pauses.

Hermione nodded softly while listening to Narcissa speak about her plans. It was common knowledge that Narcissa was very charitable and helped out whenever she could. Hermione herself had been to several of her fundraising events, and each time she'd been amazed and overwhelmed at the amount of money Narcissa had raised. Thanks to her, many charities had received the money it both deserved and needed. She was snapped out of her thoughts when Narcissa suddenly handed her what appeared to be a newspaper. Taking it slowly from the woman, Hermione looked down and started reading the article on the front page. She couldn't quite contain her gasp.

 **DRACO MALFOY A VEELA!**

 **Former Death Eater inherits the rare Veela gene.**

 _Being the rarer gender of the species, male Veelas are highly uncommon. The females appear to outnumber them a hundred to one. And with the species itself getting rarer and rarer, naturalists and zoologists were beginning to think they'd never see a male Veela again. Well, they've been proved wrong. For the first time in almost two hundred years, a male Veela has surfaced and made itself known to the world._

 _During a Ministry Mission that took place yesterday afternoon, three women were rescued after being kidnapped by Azkaban escapee, Fenrir Greyback. According to their official statements, the women claim to have been abducted by Greyback who is attempting to scientifically create a pure male Veela using Muggle technology. Believing the women were all Veelas, Greyback was appalled to discover only one of the three actually had an active Veela gene: Fleur Weasley. Miss Luna Lovegood proved to have no Veela gene at all, and Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy's gene appeared to be dormant._

 _Upon her rescue, Mrs. Malfoy was heard explaining to her son Draco Malfoy that she had passed the gene down to him and that it was active. After some investigation, it has been confirmed that Draco Malfoy has an active Veela gene, making him the first male Veela in decades and the first active Veela in the Malfoy line for generations. It is unknown as to whether or not this Veela is a threat to us, but regardless of the danger this reporter vows to bring you the latest information as soon as it's available!_

 _ **Written by Marietta Edgecombe**_

Hermione sighed softly after reading the article. If Narcissa had seen it, that meant the entire Wizarding community knew about Draco being a Veela now. She knew Draco was probably fuming about the matter and would definitely try to teach Edgecombe a thing or two by marching down to the Daily Prophet. As much as she'd like to see Edgecombe get what was coming to her, she knew it was a bad idea for Draco to do that. The world would be wondering whether he was dangerous or not, and threatening a writer at the Daily Prophet was definitely not going to help his case.

"Do you have any idea how this information was leaked?" Narcissa inquired.

"Hold on a second, are you implying I had something to do with this?" Hermione gasped, looking at Narcissa with pure shock. Surely she couldn't think that she'd done such a thing?! Draco was one of her closest friends, someone she'd trusted with her life on various different occasions since the war. She'd never betray him like that.

"Oh I'm sorry, forgive me, I didn't mean for it to come across that way! I know I can trust you after everything you've done for Draco. What I should have said was do you have any suspicions about who might have leaked it?" Narcissa corrected, offering Hermione an apologetic smile and a cupcake. Hermione took it politely and put it down on the small plate that rested before her on the coffee table. It already contained a sandwich and a cookie. If she didn't know any better, she would have said that Narcissa was trying to fatten her up. She'd often commented on Hermione's small frame.

"Well, I can tell you without a doubt Harry and Ron had nothing to do with it. They may be childish and occasionally fight with Draco, but even they know where to draw the line. Theo and Blaise are his closest friends, plus from what Harry told me they weren't present while you were explaining the Veela gene to Draco. I know for a fact Edgecombe has a few people who owe her favours. It may be possible that one of the Healers who was on scene was one of those people and told her about Draco. Or they could have simply fancied earning a bit of extra cash by selling the story." Hermione mused, resting her chin on her palm as she contemplated the possibilities that lead to Draco's situation being made public. She knew none of the Aurors present would have told. They had all been vowed to secrecy about the subject, exposing Draco's secret meant losing their job and she was pretty sure none of them would want that. 

"I see. Do you think you could get me a list of the healers that were present? I'd very much like to find the person responsible and make sure the authorities take appropriate action in punishing them for their actions." Narcissa requested.

"I can have the document owled to you once I get approval from the Minister. I'm sure he won't mind, given the fact you're Draco's mother." Hermione nodded.

"Thank you Miss Granger. I'm in your debt." Narcissa smiled, finishing her tea.

"It's no trouble at all. I want to find this person just as much as you do. Anyone who messes with my friends soon learns the magnitude of their mistake." Hermione stated. Before Narcissa could respond, the sound of the door slamming open and footsteps running against the marble floor could be heard echoing through the air. The living room doors flew open and standing in the doorway was a very flustered looking young woman. She had long blonde hair that travelled down to the bottom of her spine, bright grey-ish blue eyes and pale skin. She wore a blue off the shoulder cardigan, smart black trousers and a pair of black high heels. A large white bag rested at her feet.  
"Mother, is it true?" The woman asked, looking at Narcissa, panting ever so slightly. Mother? Narcissa Malfoy had a Daughter? Why was no one aware of this?

"Yes, it's true Flora." Narcissa nodded, watching the shock and realisation filter across her Daughter's face. Closing her eyes, the young woman let out a long sigh.

"Does that mean...?" She started, pausing slightly when her words seemed to get stuck in her throat. Standing up, Narcissa walked over to her Daughter and hugged her.

"It's possible. You did have that fever when you were sixteen, but it only lasted a week so I thought nothing of it. I realise now that I may have been wrong." Narcissa said.

"I guess we'll find out sooner or later. How is he?" Flora asked, opening her eyes.

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen him since I told him about the gene. I'm going to go see him later on in the week, you're welcome to join me if you wish." Narcissa offered.

"I'd very much like that. Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise you had company." Flora apologised, just noticing a very uncomfortable looking Hermione Granger.

Twiddling her thumbs nervously, Hermione mustered the politest smile she could.

"It's quite alright dear, this is Hermione Granger. She's the deputy head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. We were just discussing your Brother and the article concerning him. Miss Granger has very kindly agreed to help me find who it was that leaked the information." Narcissa explained.

"It's nice to meet you." Flora nodded, offering her hand to the young woman.

"It's nice to meet you too." Hermione smiled, shaking Flora's hand firmly.

"Are you friends with my Brother?" Flora asked, sitting down beside Hermione.

"Yes, though we weren't to begin with. It was only when the war was over and we started working together we were able to get to know one other. I think we were both surprised to discover we actually had a lot in common." Hermione giggled.

"I take it he was a bit of a brat during school?" Flora scoffed, smiling slightly.

"I suppose you could say that. I'm Muggle Born, so Draco was instantly hostile towards me. He seemed to absorb his Father's Pureblood ideals. Now he's had some time away from his Father, I think he's been able to develop his own opinion of Muggles. He's come a long way." Hermione stated, smiling fondly as she recalled the first day that they'd worked together. He'd instantly apologised for the way he'd behaved during their school years and promised not to call her a mudblood ever again. Her or any muggle for that fact. To this day, he'd kept that promise.

"I'm not surprised to hear that. I think that's the reason Mother had be go to school at Beauxbatons rather than Hogwarts. I was out of Father's influence then, I could become the person I wanted to be." Flora mused, smiling at her Mother gratefully.

"As much as I love your Father, he is a bit old fashioned. I'm hoping the time he spends in Azkaban will do him some good and give him time to reflect on his outdated views." Narcissa sighed, sitting down opposite the two young women before pouring herself another cup of tea. It was only six months until Lucius was released. She just hoped and prayed for his sake that he'd learnt a bit of common sense.

 **. . . . . . .**

Draco threw the newspaper into the fire, yelling in frustration before throwing a book across the room. It hadn't even been twenty four hours since he'd found out himself, now the whole world new about it. That Edgecombe was going to pay, always sticking her nose in where it didn't belong! He was going to teach her a lesson! Make her realise what a mistake it was to mess with a Malfoy. Grabbing his wand, he left his library and marched towards the front door. When he got there, he noticed Mitzi talking to a tall, dark haired wizard with pale skin and vibrant blue eyes. Smiling softly, he felt the anger leave him when he realised who it was: Cassius Warrington.

"Draco. It's good to see you." Cassius chuckled, pulling Draco into a tight back while patting his back a few times. Even though Cassius had been several years above him, Draco had still formed a strong friendship with him while they were at school together.

"It's good to see you too Cass. What brings you here?" Draco asked.

"Well, I heard about the whole Veela thing in the Prophet. I wanted to make sure you were alright." Cassius explained, and just like that all the anger came flooding back.

"I will be when I teach Edgecombe a well deserved lesson." Draco snarled.

"While I'd pay good money to see you have a cat fight with Edgecombe, that's not a good idea. Imagine what would happen if you're seen threatening her. The press will go nuts, calling you a threat to society and demanding you be quarantined." Cassius stated, bringing Draco crashing back to reality. Of course! How could he have been so blind. Now the world was aware he was a Veela, he'd have to be extra careful.

"Pansy." Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"What about her?" Cassius asked, looking at Draco in concern.

"I may or may not have got angry with her earlier today. She witnessed claws growing from my finger nails. Her Dad bought the fucking Daily Prophet, he owns it now. If he finds out I put his Daughter in harm's way, I'll be locked up for sure." Draco groaned.

"But Pansy's your friend right? She wouldn't put you at risk." Cassius pointed out.

"Not intentionally. She's probably confused about what happened and might talk to her Dad about it, looking for advice. He'd connect the dots and have me beheaded for threatening his beloved little angel." Draco sighed.

"Well, then, we'd better go find her and explain before she goes venting to Daddy." Cassius smiled, grabbing Draco's arm before dragging him out of the house.

It didn't take the pair too long to find Pansy. After checking at home and finding she wasn't there, the next port of call was the Greengrass residence. Daphne was one of Pansy's best friends, so if she wasn't at home it was almost guaranteed that she'd be there. Either that or visiting some form of luxury vintage spa for a massage.

"Draco Malfoy. I was expecting you to be knocking on my door sooner or later. Come here to suck up to Pansy have you? And you've brought Cassius Warrington along with you for back up. How sweet." Daphne smirked, leaning against the door frame.

"Look, I'm just here to apologise and explain what happened Daphne. I don't want to start a fight. Please, let me see her." Draco sighed, wondering what his Father would say if he saw him grovelling to one woman in order to grovel to yet another one.

"Fine, but if she breaks any of my stuff by throwing it at you you're paying to replace them." Daphne shrugged, stepping aside so Draco and Cassius could enter her home.

"It's a good thing he's loaded." Cassius chuckled, but soon stopped after receiving a death glare from Draco. Following Daphne up the stairs, Draco soon found himself entering the blonde's bedroom to see a very upset Pansy Parkinson, curled up on the king size bed hugging a pillow close to her chest. Sighing softly, he slowly approached the best and knelt down beside her, gently poking her shoulder.

"If you cry any more you'll be able to recreate the Nile." Draco whispered.

"Go away Draco, I'm not talking to you." Pansy mumbled, keeping her head hidden against the pillow she was gripping so hard that her fingers had turned white.

"Look, I know you're angry at me. You don't have to say anything, I only want you to listen to what I'm going to say. Then if you're still angry at me I won't hold it against you. Is that alright?" Draco asked, hoping she wouldn't simply dismiss him.

"Make it quick, the Egyptians are expecting me to deliver their second Nile soon." Pansy scoffed, but Draco could hear the slight hint of amusement in her voice.

"I don't know if you've seen the papers today, but yesterday when my team captured Fenrir Greyback, he dropped my Mother's wedding ring. I knew he'd done something to her, so we took him back to the Ministry where he was given a dose of Veritaserum. He then revealed where he was hiding my Mother, as well as two other women. We rescued them, and discovered that Greyback is planning on creating a pure Male Veela to use as his weapon. It was then my Mother told me she had a dormant gene, and had passed it down to me. My gene is active, making me the first male Veela in years. When you approached me earlier, I'd caught the scent of my mate. I've been given the chance to find her early and unfortunately when you were talking to me she got away. I couldn't control myself at that point, and I'm so sorry for what I did. I didn't mean to take my anger out on you, nor did I mean to scare you. I can only hope in time you'll learn to forgive me." Draco explained, then stood up and started heading to the door. He was stopped when something suddenly tackled him to the floor from behind.

"Oh Draco, you big idiot! I could never stay angry at you!" Pansy wailed, squeezing him so tightly he thought his ribs were going to pop. But just as he was expecting, she soon jumped off when she felt the ruffle of his wings under the skin of his shoulder blades.

Using that moment to his advantage, he got up and turned around to face her, noticing the mixture of fear, shock and confusion on her face from feeling his wings.  
"Yeah, I know it's creepy. You wouldn't be the first to point it out." Draco chuckled.

"So, you're a Veela?" Pansy asked, sitting down on the bed while she absorbed the information Draco had just told her, running a hand through her hair slowly.

"Yeah I only found out yesterday, but somehow the Daily Prophet got hold of the information and published it in the evening edition." Draco sighed.

"Well, I should be able to find out who that was. I've got friends in the Prophet, several of them owe me favours as it is. Don't worry, you'll know by tomorrow who it was that spilled the beans on your secret." Pansy smirked, standing up from the bed.

"Pans, I don't know what I'd do without you." Draco smiled, hugging her tightly.

"Don't forget it. Now, you said you were tracking your mate's scent before I...um, prevented you, from finding her. Does this mean you know who she is?" Pansy asked.

"No. I'm only able to track her scent because I started puberty early which means the gene thinks I'm a bit older than I am. I've got an extra four months to find her when normally I'd only have a year." Draco explained.

"I see. Well, human beings are creatures of habit. It's unlikely that she used that route as a one time thing. I suggest we go back there tomorrow at roughly the same time. If she pops up again, you'll be able to find her." Pansy suggested.

"Pansy you're brilliant!" Draco chuckled, hugging her once again.

"Always have been. I'll see if I can talk to Daddy and make sure any more information about your Veela situation is kept to a minimal. Something will have to go through every now and then or the public will think you've paid him not to say anything. But he won't be able to say no to his little girl." Pansy smirked.

"I owe you big time Pans." Draco smiled, tightening his grip on her ever so slightly before breaking the hug between them and kissing her forehead. Before she could have responded with a way he could repay her, Draco rushed out of the room to head back to the Manor. He had a bit more research to do about Veelas and their mates.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

Someone Holds Me Safe and Warm

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate.

 **Author's Note:** **PLEASE READ!** Hey there guys! If you didn't vote already, can you please check out the poll that's on my profile? I'd really like to know your opinions of which Dramione story you'd like to see uploaded next. Also, there may be a slight delay between my uploading of chapters, seeing as I'm working a bit more now.  
 **Featured Review: andherestograce:** "I know it's coming...he's got to find out about Hermione being his mate soon! Excited for more! Also, I like the relationship building between Hermione and Narcissa :)

 _I can indeed confirm that it won't be long until Draco discovers the identity of his mate. Maybe two or three more chapters? I'm not sure yet, I don't think I can keep the suspense going for much longer. Thank you for the lovely review, I'm glad to see you're enjoying it and that I'm keeping you interested._

 **Special Mentions:**

 _LazybyComparison – I did sent you a message concerning your review, and I do really appreciate your opinion. I am aware people may be concerned that Flora will be put in the spotlight, but I can assure you that she won't._

 _Chester99 – Seriously! Stop catching onto things early! But yes, your suspicions are correct, they haven't heard the last of Fenrir Greyback._

 _Hanable-13 – I'm glad I gave you that impression of Pansy, I was going for that._

 **. . . . . . .**

Draco knocked furiously on the door of the Manor for what must have been the hundredth time. Why the hell was no one answering? His Mother was normally in, where could she have gone at this hour? After what seemed like an eternity, his Mother's house elf Jinx opened the door, an annoyed scowl spread across his lips.

"Master Malfoy, what a nice surprise. How can Jinx be of service?" The house elf asked huffily. For a creature that supposedly loved serving witches and wizards, Jinx sure seemed to contradict that statement. He looked like he absolutely detested it.

"I'm looking for my Mother. Is she in?" Draco inquired, looking past Jinx and into the Manor in hopes to catch a glimpse of his Mother. Unfortunately, he did not.

"Mistress Malfoy is out. She will not be back until later. Would Master Malfoy like to wait inside until she returns?" Jinx suggested, though looked as if he were desperately praying that Draco would say no. Draco was half tempted to say yes just to piss off the stubborn little elf, but he had other things he needed to do.

"No that's alright Jinx, I'll come back tomorrow. Thanks anyway." Draco sighed. Just as he was about to leave, a faint scent of cinnamon caught his nose. Looking back at the door, he raised a brow in curiosity, then looked at Jinx who was looking at him expectantly, probably waiting for him to walk away before shutting the door.

"Jinx, do you smell cinnamon by any chance?" Draco asked, just to make sure he wasn't going crazy. There was no way his mate could have visited Malfoy Manor. Was there?

"Mistress Malfoy was baking today. Mistress made many delightful treats. It is possibly Master Malfoy is smelling the cinnamon buns Mistress made." Jinx shrugged.

"Thought as much. Thanks anyway Jinx." Draco smiled, then descended down the steps and started making his way back home. He didn't know why he'd gotten his hopes up. For a moment he'd seriously thought his mate was just sitting within Malfoy Manor, waiting for him to arrive and claim her as his own. If only it were that easy.

As soon as he got home, Draco made his way to the library in search of J. Franks' book. It had proved very helpful and he still hadn't quite finished it. There was still a few things he wasn't sure about. One of them being what to do once he found his mate. Did he have to tell her he was a Veela? Or was there some special ritual he had to perform?

"Chapter Five: The Bonding Process. Upon finding their mate, a Veela has until their next birthday to complete the following tasks to claim their mate.

\- Earn their affection. Like common relationships, it cannot work if the feelings are one sided. A Veela is required to have their mate return some feelings towards them before they are able to complete the bonding process. If mating is attempted while the mate does not have any feelings towards the Veela, the Veela will become sick for long periods of time." Draco read aloud to himself. Scoffing slightly, he figured that part was obvious. It wouldn't be that easy and he certainly was not going to try and force himself upon the poor girl. He wasn't a rapist for crying out loud. But it did make him wonder if some Veelas had tried to force their mates into something like that. The very thought made him shudder. He couldn't possibly imagine how a Veela could do that, they were meant to love their mates to the very core of their soul, weren't they?

"- Mark them. A bite is normally applied to sensitive pieces of flesh. For male mates, it is commonly found on the neck or shoulder. Female mates will have bites found on their neck, breasts or the inside of their upper thighs. While a female Veela does not need to release any venom, a male does for the purposes of breeding.  
\- Mating. The final stage of the bonding process requires a Veela to consummate their bond with their mate. During the process, an additional bite must be applied to the mate, not in the same place as before, to symbolise that the bonding process has been completed. The bites normally heal into silver scars that only other Veela can see or feel. This is so a Veela can know that the individual has already been chosen as a mate, so therefore must not be touched. Failing to find or mark their mate before their next birthday means a Veela will perish within the next month. The process is slow and painful, as it destroys any bond the Veela may have had with their mate, and quite literally destroys their heart until they eventually die from heart failure." Draco continued. A chill travelled through his entire body after reading the final line. If he didn't find his mate, he'd die. His heart would be destroyed and he'd die a slow and painful death from that. Sighing softly, he closed the book and sat down on the floor. It had been a long and confusing day. The ache of his muscles was starting to catch up on him. Five minutes of rest wouldn't hurt, then he'd continue reading J. Franks' book. Making himself comfortable, Draco slowly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

 **. . . . . . .**

Waking up in the library once again, Draco stretched to remove the kink in his back. If this was going to become a habit, he figured it might be a good idea to bring in a sofa or some form of makeshift bed. While he knew it was important to find out as much as he could about his Veela heritage, getting a good nights sleep was also a vital necessity.

"Draco? Are you in there?" A voice asked, causing him to groan slightly.

"How do you keep getting into my house? I've ordered Mitzi not to let you in." He scoffed, getting up from the floor before striding across the library to open the door.

"I know how to twist her around my little finger. That house elf loves brownies more than you could imagine. And why wouldn't you want me in here. I'm delightful." Vincent Crabbe scoffed, pushing his way past Draco and waltzed into the library like he owned it. Growling softly, Draco slammed the door shut and brushed his messy hair back with one hand while following Crabbe with much hesitation and disapproval.

"Did you want the whole list of just the demo version?" Draco snarled.

"So I set your bathroom on fire and may have destroyed some precious family heirlooms. It was an accident. I paid for the damage." Crabbe shrugged.

"No, you wrote my an I.O.U which I'm still waiting on." Draco corrected.

"And you shall receive soon enough. Didn't your Mother ever teach you that patience is a virtue?" Crabbe asked, swaying his finger side to side while tutting softly.

"Yes, but she also taught me to rip people limb from limb when they don't deliver what they promised." Draco smirked, taking a step towards Vincent who backed away.

"That's what I came to talk to you about. I'm finally getting paid the money from the insurance company, so I'll be able to pay you next month." Crabbe stated hastily.

"Well if that's all you've come here to say you can consider me well informed. Now get the fuck out before I throw you out." Draco barked, pointing towards the library door.

"Just one more thing before I bid you farewell. Is it true that you're a Veela?" Crabbe asked, but instantly regretted it when Draco grabbed him by his collar and shoved him up against the wall. There'd been a time when the two used to be friends, but that was a while ago. After all the shit Crabbe had done, he was lucky Draco hadn't killed him.

"Get the fuck out of my house and never come back." Draco snarled.

"Jeez, I was just asking. No need to bite my head off." Crabbe scoffed, brushing down his shirt once Draco let him go, but didn't take too long to get off Draco's property.

Sighing softly, Draco headed up to his bedroom so he could have a shower and get ready for the day. He had work in a few hours and while he wasn't particularly keen on going in, especially now everyone would probably know about the whole Veela thing, it would probably help keep him distracted from the negative thoughts floating through his brain. Mainly the final stage of the turning process that was approaching, or the week of death as Draco called it. He wasn't exactly looking forward to spending a whole week writhing in pain, nor the possibility that he'd die from it either. As he climbed into the shower, he felt his muscles instantly relax when the warm water rushed over them. He hadn't noticed until now how tense he'd been. Then again, it was hardly surprising. His whole world had been turned upside down in the space of a day.

Once he was in a pristine condition, Draco climbed out of the shower and dried himself off, then headed to the wardrobe so he could get dressed. He was interrupted when the sound of someone knocking on his front door halted him in his tracks. Knowing Mitzi would get it, Draco quickly grabbed some clothes and shoved them on so he wouldn't keep his visitor waiting too long. After making himself presentable, he rushed down the stairs and headed towards the front door. He was quite surprised to see the Minister of Magic standing in the hallway conversing with his house elf.

"The Minister of Magic would like to speak with Master Draco. Mitzi will make some tea." Mitzi announced before disappearing to the kitchen.

"You have a lovely house elf Draco, she's very sweet." Kingsley chuckled.

"Thank you Minister, please, come into the living room so we can sit." Draco smiled then lead Kingsley through the house until they arrived within the living room.

"I suppose you're wondering why I'm here?" Kingsley smiled, sitting down on the sofa.

"I'm guessing it's something to do with me being a Veela." Draco shrugged.

"Indeed. With the situation having been leaked to the press, there's hardly anyone around who doesn't know about your condition. Several people within the Ministry of Magic have voiced concerns about your newly discovered heritage. While I have declared my full confidence in you, I must also be a fair and unbiased leader. So, a compromise was made. You will continue working for the Ministry of Magic. But for the time being, you will not be coming into work. You will return once the turning process is complete." Kingsley explained, his voice as calm and official as always.

"Hold on, how do you know about the turning process?" Draco asked.

"Who do you think planted the book in your library? That book belonged to my great grandmother. She was obsessed with Veelas and tried to learn everything she could about them. So much so she ventured out with a man named J. Franks to live with a clan of Veelas. She's the one who drew the illustrations in the book." Kingsley stated.

"I-I...thank you Minister. That was very kind of you." Draco stuttered.

"You're quite welcome. I probably understand better than most what you're going through. But this stage leaves you very vulnerable and exposed, not to mention unpredictable. I must consider the safety of my staff. Once your gene has settled, you're more than welcome to come back to work. I'll make sure you're still paid while you're on leave." Kingsley nodded, pulling out a small notebook, then handed it to Draco who took it with caution and curiosity. Scanning the notebook to see there was nothing on the cover, he slowly opened it to see what was written inside.

 **34B – SECTION 176LK**

 **0978**

"I'm sorry Minister, I don't quite understand. What is this?" Draco asked.

"That is the location and combination access code to my personal collection of Veela books. You're welcome to help yourself to them any time you like." Kingsley smiled.

"O-Oh! Thank you Minister! That's very gracious of you!" Draco gasped.

"It's no problem at all. Now I must be off, please apologise to Mitzi for me, seeing as I won't be staying for tea." Kingsley stated, standing up slowly.

"She won't mind. Though if it happens again she won't be happy." Draco chuckled.

"I'll be sure not to disappoint the lady a second time. Have a good day." Kingsley smiled, then left through the front door without saying another word.

"Minister Kingsley didn't stay for tea!" The shocked voice of Mitzi suddenly gasped.

"He said he's sorry. He is the Minister of Magic Mitzi, he does have important things to do. I'm sure he'll make sure he stays longer next time, if there is a next time that is." Draco explained, watching the disappointed look on Mitzi's face fade to understanding.

"Minister Kingsley had better stay for longer next time or Mitzi will be forced to do something that Mitzi does not want to do." Mitzi stated, nodding softly as she placed the tea down on the table. Chuckling softly, Draco picked up his cup and sipped slowly.

"You're welcome to join me Mitzi." He offered, gesturing to the seat beside him.

"Mitzi would love to have tea with Master Draco!" Mitzi smiled, practically beaming. It brought him a lot of joy when Mitzi took him up on his offers. Sometimes he worried the elf worked way too hard and he enjoyed seeing her relax. Smiling softly, he poured Mitzi a cup of tea while talking to her about any little thing that popped into his head.

 **. . . . . . .**

Hermione sighed, looking at the clock before continuing to read the folder that rested upon her desk. She loved her job, but there were days where she'd rather be curled up in bed and reading a good book. Days like today where she had seven files to approve of and six meetings to attend was never a day she would look forward to. Taking a sip of her tea, she continued to read the fine print of the first document, making sure there were no loop holes at all for the contractor. They were finally making the distribution of Wolfsbane potion to werewolves mandatory. She'd fought for years to get that law enacted and now it was finally becoming a reality. She just had to make sure that the producers of the potion weren't getting some kind of leverage over the werewolves.

So far, everything was looking in good condition. She had found one or two things that would need to be amended, but other than that it was completely fair on both sides. Glancing over at her tea, she noticed that the cup was now empty and knowing full well she wouldn't be able to get through the day without another she stood up and left her office to go make another. When she arrived in the break room, she noticed a small group of women sitting on one of the tables, whispering something to one another. Now, normally Hermione Granger was not the type of woman who would pry into other people's conversations. But for some reason, on this instance, she couldn't quite help herself. So, while she was making her tea she turned her head slightly so she could hear what the women were talking about without making it obvious she was listening.

"I can't believe Kingsley didn't fire him. I don't feel safe knowing that...thing, will be coming back here in four months." A brunette woman shuddered.

"I know what you mean. They're worse than werewolves. Completely unpredictable. You never know when they may pounce." A blonde woman scoffed, scowling slightly.

"I heard that they can mark any poor unsuspecting woman as their mate. Whoever they deem attractive they just bite and boom, you're stuck with them forever. You're not allowed to leave." A red head added, fear filling her voice and her eyes. Unfortunately for them, that was the last straw for Hermione Granger. She'd heard enough.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves! It's unjust opinions like that which make me ashamed to call myself human. Did any of you actually think to research Veelas? Did it not occur to you that since you're going to be working with one it might be a good idea to find out the facts rather than take the word of mere gossip? Well let me tell you this. A Veela is not unpredictable. They're completely stable unless their mate is threatened. And they can't randomly pick a mate based on appearances. It's a connection of the very soul, someone they were destined to be with! And they can't mark them unless the feelings are returned, so I suggest you take a long look in the mirror and ask yourselves what kind of person you actually are. Because when I look at you I don't see respectable women, I see pathetic school girls judging people based on rumours, not facts." Hermione scoffed, then grabbed her tea and left the room without giving the three women any time to respond. It was people like that who really got on her last nerve, people who jumped to conclusions without even investigating further.

"Wow Granger, you really told them." A voice chuckled, making her jump in shock slightly. A small amount of tea slipped out of her cup and landed on the floor. Looking up, she noticed the smirking face of Cormac McLaggen and rolled her eyes.

"What do you want Cormac?" She asked, heading back to her office.  
"Greyback escaped from Azkaban, again. He's been spotted in London. Potter wants everyone on high alert, so pass the message on to everyone you can." Cormac stated. Her eyes went wide in shock. Greyback? If he was in London, that put him in dangerously close range of the Malfoys. He knew Narcissa Malfoy's Veela gene was dormant, but the Prophet had all but sent him a personal owl letting him know there was a Veela ripe and ready for the picking just a few minutes away. Draco.

"I've got to go." Hermione stated, forcing her cup into Cormac's hands before running away from the now very confused looking wizard. She had to find a fireplace and use the Floo Network to warn Draco about Greyback. There was a chance that he'd try and attack Draco now that he was exposed. Rushing into a free fireplace, Hermione grabbed some Floo Powder and threw it to the floor, yelling where she wanted to go.

 **. . . . . . .**

Narcissa Malfoy was a refined woman who never let people see they got to her. She believed that the ability to control one's emotions and hold back anything that would show a weakness was truly a powerful ability indeed. It was for that reason she was not letting Fenrir Greyback see that she was absolutely terrified by his presence.

"Where is the boy, Narcissa?" Fenrir growled, mere inches away from her face.

"He's beyond your reach." She scoffed, hoping that Greyback would become under the impression that Draco was no longer in the country and go searching for him.

"No matter where he goes, I will find him. You can spare his pain by telling me where he is now and I promise no harm will come to any of you." Fenrir chuckled.

"Do you think me stupid, there's no way I'd take your word." Narcissa spat.

"So be it." Fenrir growled, raising his clawed hand as if he were about to strike Narcissa down. Closing her eyes, the woman prepared herself for her inevitable death.

"Impedimenta!" A voice suddenly yelled, followed by a brief flash of turquoise. Shock filled her face when she saw Greyback's hand instantly slow down to an almost non moving pace and Hermione Granger running out of her fireplace.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**

Endless Red Tape to Keep the Truth Confined

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate.

 **Author's Note:** **PLEASE READ!** Hey there guys! I just wanted to say a big thank you for all the follows, favourites and reviews! It means so much to me that there are so many people who are reading this story and enjoying it! This story is now at almost 8,000 views which is amazing!

 **Featured Review: Ana (Guest):** OMG! I just started reading this story and I absolutely love it! I want to say that I love your style of writing and I can't wait for the next chapter. I'm too anxious to wait for them to finally be together. This is by far one of my favorite stories that I have read on this site please don't ever give it up! Thank you so much for putting your creativity out to the world!

 _Thank you so much for this beautiful review! I've been having a bit of a tough week and this really brought a smile to my face. I promise to try as hard as I can to keep this story going, though I do apologise for the occasional delays in chapters. I hope you don't get too annoyed with me about those. But I do hope you enjoy this chapter!_

 **Special Mentions:** Geekmom13, nikkischrank  & Mimi Hyuga – thank you!

 **. . . . . . .**

It had all gone so quick, it was still taking her a little time to process what had happened. After stepping into the Floo Network and yelling out Malfoy Manor, she'd realised her mistake. The location she was heading to was the home of Narcissa Malfoy, not Draco. So she planned on explaining the situation upon her arrival before going to find Draco and making sure that Narcissa got to safety.

What she had not expected to see was none other than Fenrir Greyback standing in the Malfoy Manor living room, prime and ready to strike Narcissa Malfoy down. Without even thinking about it, Hermione pulled out her wand and cast a jinx in Greyback's direction before he could have done any serious damage. Not even hesitating, Hermione then ran over to Narcissa and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of harm's way and towards the fireplace so they get could away. She'd take them both back to the Ministry of Magic, Greyback wouldn't be stupid enough to follow them back there. She'd be able to tell Harry what had happened, alert him of the situation. If they were quick about it, they'd be able to catch Greyback and sent him back to Azkaban once and for all. She was sure the Ministry would ensure guard details would be increased.

What she'd forgotten about the Impediment Jinx was that it only temporarily slowed the target, for about ten seconds. So when Greyback's hand suddenly grabbed a bunch of her hair and threw her back, she realised the reality of her mistake. A cry of pain left her lips when she hit the coffee table, smashing it into several pieces upon impact.

"If there's one thing I can't stand, it's interruptions." Greyback sighed, turning his attention back to Narcissa Malfoy, who had been prepared and ready for him. Once he had fully turned around so he was facing her, she raised her arm in a slicing motion, causing him to stumble back slightly while clutching his face. Blood was now trickling down his cheek and also dripping off a letter opener Narcissa held in her right hand.

"Oh my dear, you are going to regret that." Greyback snarled, pulling out his wand. Before he could have even decided what dark spell he wanted to use to punish Narcissa Malfoy for her actions, a piece of broken wood suddenly collided with the side of his head and sent him flying to the side. Looking up, Narcissa noticed a very bloody and bruised Hermione Granger standing just inches behind where Greyback had been moments ago, holding one of the broken legs of the coffee table in her hands like a club or a mallet, several of it's splintered ends stained with blood.

"I promise I'll pay for that. Come on, we need to get out of here." Hermione instructed, grabbing Narcissa's hand once again before heading to the fireplace. However once again their path was blocked when Greyback used a summoning spell to drag the sofa in front of the fireplace, preventing their escape for a second time. He seemed to be struggling to get to his feet, so Hermione took that moment to direct Narcissa out of the living room and up the stairs. She only needed a few moments out of his sight, a few moments of hiding to alert Harry of what was going on, then they'd be safe.

"Do you have another Floo in the Manor at all?" Hermione asked as she and Narcissa ran down the hallway as fast as they were able.

"No, just the one in the living room. I do have a portkey in my bedroom." Narcissa stated, panting ever so slightly. It was hardly surprising. The woman was wearing high heels and a long dress. Not exactly the best attire for when you're running for your life.

"I have a plan. It's not a great one, but if we're quick it might just work. I need you to go to your bedroom and wait for me there. If Greyback finds you before I arrive, use the portkey and get out of there." Hermione instructed, halting halfway in the hallway.

"Out of the question. I'm not leaving you alone here with that man." Narcissa scoffed.

"If we're quick about this, you won't have to." Hermione stated. After a brief moment of hesitation, Narcissa sighed softly and continued running down the hallway towards her bedroom, hoping with her entire being that Hermione would make it there in time.

 **. . . . . . .**

Harry watched with amusement as Ron tried once again to beat Nott in an arm wrestling match. The two seemed to constantly be battling each other, trying to outdo one another and show off their dominance. Nine times out of ten Theo would win, boosting his ego while shattering Ron's at the same time. But no matter how many times he was defeated, Ron always came marching back with his head held high.

"Come on Ron!" The voice of Dean Thomas cried, obviously supporting his old Gryffindor school mate. Smiling softly, Harry stepped out of his office and approached the small group forming around Theo's desk. He knew the noise would soon reach unprofessional levels and he'd have to break it up before it got out of hand. Before he could have even announced his presence to the group, the sound of doors slamming open interrupted the commotion and sent everything into a deal silence. Standing in the doorway was Blaise Zabini, his eyes full of terror and fear.

"Greyback's at the Malfoy Manor! Granger is trying to hold him off!" He yelled. For a single second, no one moved. But in the blink of an eye everyone was up on their feet and rushing to grab everything they needed. Harry instantly ran over to Blaise, Ron and Theo following close behind. Normally they were the first response, along with Draco, responsible for getting there and assessing the danger before others entered.

"Why is Hermione at the Manor?" Harry asked, running alongside Blaise.

"When Cormac alerted her about Greyback breaking out of Azkaban again, she must have put two and two together. My guess is she figured he's looking for Draco and reasoned that Narcissa would be the best way of finding him. She sent a Patronus about a minute ago. It was meant for you but I guess she enabled it to transmit to the first person who saw it, saves time in the long run." Blaise explained.

"She's crazy for trying to hold Greyback on her own. She's going to get herself killed!" Ron sighed, worry filling his features. Granted, he and Hermione weren't ask close as they used to be. But they were still close friends, and he cared about his friends deeply.

"I'm not going to let that happen." Harry stated firmly before running into the Floo, yelling out Malfoy Manor before disappearing into the green flames.

 **. . . . . . .**

Holding her wand close to her chest, Hermione ensured she walked as slowly and quietly as possible down the hallway. She'd heard the familiar sound of a portkey being activated not long ago, so safely assumed that Narcissa had been found by Greyback and escaped. That meant he was on the floor above her at the moment, and was probably making his way back down now. If she could get to the Floo before that happened, she'd have a chance of making it out of there in one piece. Someone had received her Patronus, the Aurors would be on their way right at that moment. All she needed to do was stay quiet and everything would be alright.

"I can smell your fear Granger, I can hear you frantically beating heart." Greyback's voice hissed through the air, making a shiver travel down her spine. She had no idea where he was, but she knew he was too far away to be able to see her. He was probably searching one of the rooms on the same floor as her. Taking her chance, she quickly opened one of the doors closest to her and snuck inside the room as quietly as she could, closing the door softly behind her. It appeared as if she were in some form of office, though it was very dusty and cold like it hadn't been used in years.

Her mind then came to the conclusion this had once been the personal office of Lucius Malfoy. Curiosity got the better over her and she walked over to his desk, noticing a note book had been laying open upon it. There were several paragraphs of text written in it, the quill they'd been written with still resting in the pot of ink beside it. She slowly picked up the notebook and began reading what was written on the pages.

" _Isabelle Turner – Twenty three years old. Half Blood. Cause of death: Strangled by Bellatrix Lestrange after denying any knowledge of Harry Potter's location. I tried to convince the Dark Lord to let me dispose of her body, that way I could bury it and let her parents know, then they'd have somewhere to mourn for their child. But he refused and burned the body right there in front of me. I managed to recover a ring from the ashes and had it sent to the girl's parents along with a rose. At least they'll have something to remember her by. At least they'll know what happened to her instead of spending months, maybe years wondering where she is or if she's safe."_

Taking in a short breath of shock, Hermione found herself shocked by the words written on the page. Lucius Malfoy had not been a loyal follower of the Dark Lord. At some point, he'd seen sense and had started to secretly work against him in his own way, simply by returning bodies or items from fallen witches and wizards who were victims of Voldemort's rage. He'd had compassion for each and every one of them, he'd documented who they were, how they'd died and what he'd done in order to try and find some form of solace for the parents. Putting the notebook in her pocket, Hermione could help but recall Lucius' trial just a few weeks after the battle. He'd claimed to be a loyal follower of the Dark Lord and obediently obeyed every command he'd given with no influence of any curse. The notebook she'd found contradicted that testimony. Maybe if she went to the Minister with it, Lucius would be seen in a different light.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" A voice suddenly called, bringing her back to reality. Oh no. That voice belonged to Flora Malfoy. If Greyback knew about her, he'd connect the dots and realise there was a chance she could be a Veela. He'd definitely try and take her back to his little lair where he was no doubt keeping other people he suspected of being Veelas. Without hesitating, Hermione ran out of the room, not caring if she made any noise and ran towards the top of the stairs as fast as she could. She had to get there before Greyback! She had to! If she didn't, who knows what he'd do!

"Hello pretty, you must be Flora. I've heard a lot about you." Greyback's voice growled from a distance. Cursing her lack of focus, Hermione continued to run until she reached the balcony where she could look down on the foyer below.  
"What are you doing here? Where is my Mother!?" Flora demanded, pointing her wand at Greyback. Though Hermione could see the woman's hand was shaking violently.

"Oh, you should be far more concerned with your own safety pretty. Imagine what the combination of my wolf genes and your Veela genes would create." Greyback smirked. Hermione could see the terror fill Flora's eyes at Greyback's suggestion. Without wasting a second, Hermione launched herself off the balcony and dove down towards Greyback as he began reaching for Flora. She collided with him moments later, forcing him down onto the ground with a loud thump. The cry of shock that left Flora's lips echoed through Hermione's fuzzy and rattled brain. The impact had shaken her up a bit, making everything look slightly disorientating.

"I am seriously getting tired of your interruptions." Greyback snarled before pushing himself back on his feet. Hermione didn't even have time to react before he grabbed her hair and pulled her up so she was dangling in the air, screaming in pain.

"Flora! Get out of here!" Hermione hissed through gritted teeth.

"Oh no you don't." Greyback smirked, flicking his wand quickly. In the blink of an eye, Flora had fallen to the ground and squirmed furiously in a desperate attempt to escape as ropes began wrapping around her body. Fearing for the young girl's safety, Hermione struggled against Greyback's hold, lashing out and kicking as much as she could. But her efforts were futile. He was holding her too far away from his body to cause any damage, and the more she moved the more pain she was in.

Then suddenly Greyback's wand was sent flying out of his hand. Befuddled, he turned around to see who had attacked him only to be punched in the face by none other than Harry Potter. The impact to his face and the pain that flooded through his body caused Greyback to release his grip on Hermione. Ron was there and ready, catching her before she hit the ground, preventing her from being in any more pain than she already was. Theo was at Flora's side in an instant, helping her to become free of her restraints while Blaise held Greyback down on the ground, stopping him from getting back up.

"Normally we only have to deal with scumbags like you once. We kick your ass and you stay locked up. How do you keep getting out?" Blaise snarled.

"Money is a very powerful force, it's amazing how easily it can corrupt the purest of hearts." Greyback smirked. The meaning behind his words sent chills down Harry's spine. Surely he couldn't be suggesting that someone within the Ministry was dirty? Was there seriously someone working for him on the inside? And if so, who was it?

"On your feet fleabag, we've arranged it so this time you won't be returning to Azkaban. Where you're going, no one will ever be able to find you." Theo snarled.

"I wouldn't count on that boy, I have friends in high places." Greyback chuckled.

Hermione watched cautiously as Greyback was hoisted to his feet and put in restraints. There was no way he could be telling the truth, surely no one in the Ministry would even consider siding with that psychopath? Not unless they were being blackmailed.

"What were you thinking Hermione?! Coming here alone?!" Ron's voice snapped, bringing her attention away from Greyback and onto her furious red haired friend.

"Well I wasn't going to sit back and do nothing. Time was of the essence Ronald, if I'd have waited a single second longer, Narcissa Malfoy would have been laying dead on the living room floor." Hermione stated, placing her hands on her hips while staring up at him with authority radiating from her entire being. She hated it when her friends would judge her actions, or questioned her reasoning because something was dangerous. She was perfectly capable of defending herself, most of the time.

"I'm just glad you sent that Patronus when you did, or you'd be laying on the floor with her." Ron sighed before walking away from her. Rolling her eyes, Hermione started heading back to the Floo where she hoped she'd finally be able to go see Draco.

"Miss Granger!" The voice of Flora Malfoy suddenly called, stopping her in her tracks.

"Please, call me Hermione." She smiled, turning around to face the young woman.

"I just wanted to thank you for saving my Mother's life. I owe you a debt." Flora stated.

"You owe me nothing, I'm sure if the roles were reversed she would have done the same for me, now if you'll excuse me, I have some very important business to attend to so I must bid you farewell." Hermione smiled, walking back towards the floo.

"Well if there's anything I can ever do for you, please let me know." Flora added quickly before Hermione entered the floo, then smiled brightly at her before waving goodbye as the young woman disappeared into the green flames.

 **. . . . . . .**

Lucius Malfoy was a proud man, who believed in honour and respect above all else. He was a man who valued loyalty and dedication above his own health and safety. So it was needless to say Azkaban prison was not exactly a place he felt comfortable in. There was no honour amongst thieves and murderers. The only loyalty in the prison was to the strongest man in order to protect your own safety. And the only determination present was the determination to either be free, or to escape.

"Malfoy. You've got a visitor." The guard announced through the bars of his prison cell, bringing him hastily out of his thoughts. Narcissa wasn't due to visit until next week, and Draco always wrote in advance to let him know he was visiting. Standing up, Lucius slowly made his way towards the door, watching as the guard opened it slowly before applying a pair of restraints to his wrists. The pair then slowly walked down the dimly lit corridors of Azkaban prison before reaching a large metal door. Opening it revealed a small room with a single metal table in the middle of the room and four chairs placed around it. The only light came from a chandelier of candles that hung above the table, illuminating the form of a young light reddish blonde haired woman.

"Miss Edgecombe, what brings you here on this fine afternoon? Surely you have lives to ruin in those little articles of yours?" Lucius snarled, walking over to the table after the guard gave him a gentle but authoritative shove on the back.

"It's nice to see you to Lucius. I take it you saw the article I wrote about your son?" Marietta smiled, seemingly oblivious to the anger she'd caused Lucius.

"The entire Wizarding community has seen it, I'm sure. No doubt they're all running around calling my son a monster no thanks to you." Lucius spat, sitting down slowly.

"I was merely doing my job Mr. Malfoy. As a reporter, it is my duty to inform the public about any possible dangers that are currently present." Edgecombe shrugged.

"Well maybe you should do more research before you publish your next article. I know some people who could easily make you unemployed in a heartbeat." Lucius scoffed.

"Funny you should say that. I happen to have been carrying out a little investigation into the Malfoy family, and I think you'll be quite surprised with what I've found." Edgecombe stated, pulling out a folder from her satchel and placed it on the table. Cautiously, Lucius grabbed the file and pulled it closer before opening it slowly.

His eyes widened in shock the more he read, his heartbeat rapidly increased the further down his eyes scrolled. This couldn't be possible! There was no way it was true!

"Something wrong Mr. Malfoy?" Edgecombe asked. The concern in her voice would have sounded genuine to anyone listening in, but Lucius knew it was fake, merely a tool to cover up the smugness she was currently feeling whilst revelling in his sorrow.

"Where did you find this?" He snarled, glaring up at her with eyes full of venom.

"Oh I have my sources. It's quite fascinating isn't it? I mean, what are the chances? Not only did Narcissa Malfoy possess a dormant Veela gene, but so did you! No wonder you were drawn to one another." Edgecombe giggled, leaning back in her seat while twirling her hair around her finger. Lucius could feel the colour draining out of his already pale face. Looking down at the family history charts, he noticed that there were quite a few Veelas that had been circled in red. For a species that was so rare, it surprised him how many times a Veela had found it's way into the Malfoy gene.

"Turns out, Draco's going to be a lot more powerful than you're expecting if he completes the final stage of transformation. With the power he's going to possess, he'll definitely pose a threat to society." Edgecombe added, smirking ever so slightly.

"What do you want in exchange for this information?" Lucius sighed.

"Oh, you think I came here to make a deal? Oh that's precious." Marietta laughed.

"My son does not deserve this! Name your price and I'll pay it!" Lucius yelled. For a brief moment, there was a slight hint of fear in Edgecombe's eyes, but she soon conformed herself and leant forwards so her arms were resting on the table.

"I don't know, there's the whole deal of your secret daughter possibly being a Veela too. It would take something very big for me to keep my mouth shut about this." She stated.

"Whatever you want, I'll do it. Please. Don't do this to my children." Lucius sighed.

"Now you mention it, there is one thing I desire." Edgecombe smirked.

 **. . . . . . .**

Draco sighed softly as he finished the last of his Firewhisky, watching as Blaise and Theo played a game of cards while Cassius seemed to be cautiously shifting away from Mitzi as she persistently tried to fix the collar of his shirt. If Draco didn't know any better, he could have sworn the elf some form of obsessive compulsive disorder.

"So according to your sister, Granger threw herself off the balcony of the stairs and tackled Greyback to the ground. I would have loved to see it." Theo chuckled.

"She's nuts." Draco scoffed, but was glad to hear at the same time Greyback had been apprehended. Hopefully this was the last they would hear from him.

"Were you expecting anything else? She's Hermione Granger for crying out loud, brightest witch of her age, member of the golden trio. Of course she was going to go all ninja on his ass." Blaise shrugged, causing Cassius and Theo to burst out laughing.

"I'm just glad he's been put in the hole he deserves to be buried in." Draco spat.

"Don't you worry mate, where we've put him, he's never getting out again." Theo smiled supportively, putting a friendly hand on Draco's shoulder before going back to his card game. Smiling back, Draco grabbed the bottle of Firewhisky and refilled his glass, adding a few cubes of ice before bringing it close to his lips to take a sip. Before he could have enjoyed the refreshing beverage, a knock on the door interrupted him.

"Mitzi will get it Master Draco." Mitzi announced, rushing out of the room before he could have stated otherwise. Sighing softly with a slight smile, Draco went back to having a quick sip of his drink. There was no drink better in the world in his opinion.

"Blaise, we need to get you back in the dating game. Draco's going to have his mate soon and I'm having a pleasant time with Daphne. It's not right you're flying solo." Theo stated randomly, looking up at his friend with a smile across his face.

"Maybe I like flying solo. Besides, Cassius is still single. Why aren't you moaning at him instead?" Blaise scoffed, placing a card down onto the coffee table.

"I know who he likes so I'm not bothering with him." Theo shrugged, causing the man in question's cheeks to turn bright red. Draco raised a curious brow, but made no other remarks towards the discussion. He didn't really want to get involved with it.

"Master Draco, there is a young lady here to see you. She says her name is Fleur Weasley." Mitzi stated, entering the room once again but this time accompanied by a young woman with long blonde hair. Smiling softly at him, Fleur bowed her head.

"Fleur, it's been a while." Draco smiled, noticing Blaise's jaw drop.

"Indeed. I hope you don't mind my dropping by like this, but there's a few things I think we need to discuss. It's important." Fleur stated softly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight:**

I Feel a Premonition, That Girl's Gonna Make Me Fall

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate. Will he find her in time, or will he be too late?

 **Author's Note:** Hey guys, I just realised that the summary was wrong on previous chapters, so I've updated that. Also, this month is going to be very busy, hectic and important for me so there might not be many updates, sorry about that.

 **Featured Review: TheseLittleWonders:** Lol, I'm giggling at how you're keeping Draco and Hermione apart since the revelation. I want him to figure it out, but at the same time, it would take away from the fun of everything! I'm really worried about what deal Lucius is going to make with Marietta Edgecombe; nice job having her as an antagonist; I haven't come across any stories that do. My head is also reeling at the BEVY of Slytherins in this story. It's only my 2nd Veela fic ever, but I'm really enjoying it.

 _First of all, thank you so much for your review! It was very sweet and it did help me with this chapter. I'm glad you're enjoying the fact Edgecombe is an antagonist, normally I try to promote her character and make her a good character, but I thought I'd spice things up a little bit this time. Anyway, I hope you like the ending of this one!_

 **Special Mentions:** Ana (Guest), andherestograce  & Namie Amelia – thank you!

 **. . . . . . .**

Ginny Weasley smiled softly as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was very happy with the outfit she was wearing and how it had turned out. It was a beautiful red dress that flowed freely around her legs, but clung to her curves nicely. The dress stopped after reaching her mid thighs and had tassels hanging from the bottom of it. Her heels were four inches and the same colour as her dress, as well as her lipstick.

"Wow. You look amazing." Harry smiled, approaching his fiancé from behind.

"It's not too much? You don't think I'm making too much of an effort?" Ginny asked.

"No, I think it's perfect." Harry stated, gently placing his hands on her exposed shoulders. Smiling softly, Ginny turned around to face him and kissed him gently.

"Thank you." She whispered before locking her lips with his once again.

"Anytime. Now grab your bag, we need to get moving or we'll be late." Harry instructed, swatting her ass quickly before running out of the room. Giggling softly, Ginny picked up her handbag and her jacket before following him downstairs.

Tonight was the grand opening of Wizarding London's newest club: Incantatrix. Anyone who was anyone had been invited, but it was an open door event. As long as you were of age, you were welcome. But that didn't mean Romilda hadn't tried to make it a celebrity event. Inviting all the members of the golden trio was obviously a means to make her grand opening hit the papers, making it that much more popular. Nevertheless, with all that had been going on recently, Ginny had thought it would be a good idea to have a night out with Harry. Ron had stated he was coming, but she'd heard nothing from Hermione as of yet. Still, she was optimistic. She believed there was a good chance Hermione would come, even if it was fashionably late.

"Ready to go?" Harry asked, bringing her out of her thoughts and back to reality.

"Oh, yeah. All set." Ginny smiled, taking Harry's hand as they stepped into the fire place. In the blink of an eye, they were engulfed in flames then transported into the main bar of Incantatrix. It was a very natural themed club, with walls and bars built entirely from logs and wood. Vines hung from the ceilings and columns, which then lead to a tree that stood tall and proud in the middle of a seating area, shielding the tables under it's branches. Loud and upbeat music played from a live band in the far corner of the room, behind a very brightly lit up a raised dance floor with lights coming out from underneath what appeared to be glass tiles. On the dance floor were several couples, swaying to the rhythm rather erotically. Ginny smirked slightly, knowing she was definitely dragging Harry up there at some point, whether he liked it or not.

"Harry, Ginny! You made it!" A voice exclaimed happily, making the pair look to their right. Standing just beside them was none other than Romilda Vane, wearing a dark green dress that barely covered any skin and clung to her figure rather suggestively.

"Glad to be here. This place looks amazing." Harry smiled, his voice raised slightly so Romilda would be able to hear him above the blaring music.

"Oh that's so sweet! Thank you so much, I'm just glad everyone's having a good time. Your first round is on me! Have fun tonight!" Romilda stated, then waved goodbye before departing from the scene. Just as Ginny was about to make a comment on Romilda's choice in attire, something else caught her attention that made her speechless. Noticing her shocked expression, Harry turned his attention back to the dance floor. Upon seeing his best friend entwined in the arms of Lavender Brown, dancing rather closely together, his jaw almost hit the floor.

"Oh my god." Ginny gasped, a small smirk slowly forming across her face.

"I can't believe he's dancing with her, or dancing at all." Harry chuckled.

"Well, at least we know he's moved on from Hermione." Ginny shrugged, then grabbed Harry's hand and started leading him over towards the bar to get their free drinks.

 **. . . . . . .**

"You look like a whore." Draco stated flatly, his arms folded across his chest. The slap across his cheek he received moments later was definitely not worth the comment.

"Take that back." Flora snarled, glaring up at her older brother with venom in her eyes.

"I think she looks very nice." Blaise smirked, winking at the young woman.

"You think anything with a vagina looks nice. No offence Flora." Theo scoffed.

"None taken." The woman in question shrugged, walking into the club before Draco could have offended her any further. Rolling his eyes, Draco followed her inside to be instantly greeted by loud music and masses of people.

"Remind me again why I let you talk me into this." Draco sighed, looking at Blaise.  
"You've been stressed the hell out recently, you need to chill. Plus, there's a chance your mate might be here if she's a part of the Wizarding World." Blaise stated.

"Yes, because nothing says relax like the smell of hot sweaty bodies and sexual frustration." Draco scoffed, then started making his way over to the bar to grab a drink. If he was staying, he planned on getting very, very wasted.

"Draco Malfoy, I didn't think you'd show." A voice from behind him giggled. Turning around, Draco was met with the face of Marietta Edgecombe. He made no efforts to hide his obvious disgust at her, sending a very offending scowl her way.

"What do you want Edgecombe?" He snarled, leaning against the bar.

"I'm here to report the grand opening for the Prophet. Harry Potter is attending, that makes it a Golden Event." Edgecombe shrugged, moving so she stood beside him.

"Then go pester him. I think you've bothered me too much as it is." Draco spat.

"You seriously can't still be angry about the article? Come on Draco, grow up. This is the real world. Nothing stays secret any more." She smirked, stepping closer to him. He instantly took two steps back, not wanting to be closer to her than necessary.

"Go away. Before I make you." Draco hissed, keeping his voice low so only she heard.

"This isn't over Draco. You haven't seen the last of me yet." Edgecombe stated before picking up her drink and walking away. Letting out a breath he had no idea he'd been holding in, Draco ordered a large Firewhisky and sat down on one of the bar stools. He was now deeply regretting coming, and planned on making Blaise suffer later on.

As the whisky began travelling down his throat, his mind went back to the conversation he'd had with Fleur Weasley just a mere hour ago.

 **One hour earlier...**

Draco watched as Mitzi poured a cup of tea for Fleur, smiling up at her brightly. It was needless to say the house elf was in awe of the beautiful woman. Probably because she'd never seen a female Veela before, not knowingly of course. Mitzi was a very curious creature, she loved learning about anything and everything she could.

"Once again, I do apologise for my unannounced arrival at such a late hour." Fleur stated, bowing her head at him before taking a sip of her tea.

"You needn't apologise, you did say that the matter was important." Draco smiled, picking up his own cup of tea before taking a quick sip himself.

"It is. Draco, while you may be the first male Veela to be revealed to the general public in almost two hundred years, you certainly aren't the only one known to Veela kind. In fact, there are several male Veela currently residing here in England. The sudden announcement of a new male Veela has put most of them on edge." Fleur started.

"And why would that be?" Draco asked, concern and curiosity filling his entire being.

"It's not common knowledge but, in every country there is an Alpha Male Veela. He tends to be the strongest and most powerful Veela in the entire country. Now that you've made yourself known, there's going to be a debate on whether or not you're more powerful than he is. If it's plausible, you'll be summoned to battle him for dominance." Fleur continued, moving her hands in random gestures as she spoke.

"What if I don't want to battle this guy?" Draco inquired.

"I'm afraid you won't have a choice. If you're strength challenges his, your body's chemistry will naturally force you to battle him. If you win, you gain control of this country's entire Veela population. Should you lose, he takes your mate and claims her as his own." Fleur finished, a sympathetic look forming on her face.

"This is ridiculous. I haven't even finished transforming yet, nor have I found my mate." Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair slowly.

"I'm really sorry Draco. I wish things were different, but our Alpha is vile and cruel. He could easily change the system and change the outcomes of dominance battles, but he revels in the fact he's beat every challenger so far. Five poor souls have been condemned to death after losing their mates. He now has six unfortunate women around him at all times, obligated to carry out every order he gives to them." Fleur stated softly, her voice filled with shame and despair.

Looking down, Draco took a moment to collect his thoughts and try to figure out what was going to happen to him now. There was a strong chance that this might not even happen, he might not be anywhere near as powerful as the Alpha Veela, meaning all his worrying would be for nought. But, there was always a chance he could match the Alpha Veela's strength, or surpass it completely. Then he'd have something to worry about. Either way, he figured it would be best to prepare, just in case.

"Thank you for telling me this Fleur." Draco nodded, standing up from his chair.

"You saved my life when you and the Aurors rescued me from Greyback. I owed you at least that much. Should you ever have any questions, my door is always open." Fleur smiled, bowing her head once more before standing up and leaving the room, following Mitzi to the front door. Once she was gone, Draco made his way back to the living room, happy to see that the guys were still doing what they had been when he'd left.

"What did blondie want to talk about?" Blaise asked, still practically drooling.

"There's a chance I may have to battle the Alpha male for dominance if I'm anywhere near as powerful as he is. If I lose, I have to give up my mate to him." Draco sighed, sitting down next to Theo after he'd poured himself a rather large glass of Firewhisky.

"Holy shit! No way! That's not fair!" Theo exclaimed, outraged at the sudden news.

"I didn't know there were Alpha Veelas, I thought that was just a werewolf thing." Blaise shrugged, putting a card down on the table. If he was troubled by the announcement Draco had just made, he made no signs of showing it.

"Nope, not just werewolves. There's Alpha Veela too. This is just taking the piss. I only found out about this whole Veela thing a few days ago. Now I'm being told I have to find a mate or I'll die, then I find out that there's a chance I have to battle an Alpha and possibly stand the chance of losing my mate anyway." Draco groaned, downing his Firewhisky in just a few gulps. Leaning back in his seat, he sighed softly.

"Don't worry Draco, we'll figure this out." Cassius stated, the optimistic one as ever.

"Well, with that bombshell out of the way, I've had an idea lads. We're going out tonight." Blaise stated, standing up from his seat with a smirk on his face.

 **Present day...**

"Sweet Merlin, you're sister sure can dance." Theo muttered, almost drooling. Looking up at the dance floor, Draco sighed softly when he saw Flora being spun around in the middle of the dance floor by some guy he had never seen before. Her black strapless knee length dress fanned out as she was twirled around, giving her a very elegant appearance. The guy suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist, stopping her from spinning and leant her back, causing the crowd to cheer and whistle wildly.

"Do me a favour and stop drooling over my sister. You're with Daphne." Draco scoffed.

"It's not like I'm cheating on her. It's like that saying goes 'My eyes may wander, but my heart always comes home'. Or something like that." Theo smirked.

"I'm sure she wouldn't be happy if she found out." Draco shrugged, sipping his drink.

"You wouldn't." Theo gasped, looking at Draco with pure shock in his eyes.  
"Try me." Draco smirked, raising his brows suggestively. Chuckling softly, Theo swatted his friend on the shoulder before diving back into the crowd watching Flora.

"I didn't think you'd be at an event like this." A voice scoffed from beside him.

"I didn't exactly want to be here, but Blaise is very convincing." Draco scoffed, looking to his left to see Pansy sitting beside him. She was wearing a plain green dress that was similar to the one he'd briefly seen Romilda Vane wearing, short and clingy, but at least Pansy had a bit of modesty and covered up her entire ass instead of leaving half of it exposed. After she'd ordered a drink, she passed him over a folded piece of paper.

"What is this?" Draco asked, opening it up slowly.

"A hand written and signed confession from one, Cho Chang, admitting she was the Healer who told Edgecombe about your, condition, and why." Pansy shrugged.

"Holy shit, Pansy, how in the hell did you get her to do this?" Draco gasped.

"I have my ways." Pansy stated coldly, not bothering to look him in the eye.

 **A few hours earlier...**

A wise man once said 'emotional blackmail is the use of fear, obligation and guilt to control another person'. When she deeply thought about it, Pansy Parkinson could not find a time in her life where this phrase had applied more perfectly. It hadn't taken her too long to discover the leak that lead to Draco's Veela gene being revealed to the public. It had taken her even less time to track said person down. Currently she was watching as Cho Chang made her way back home alone, walking down the dimly lit streets with a small handbag hung over her shoulder. Taking her chance, Pansy stepped out from her shadowed alcove and started following Chang from a distance. She didn't want to get too close, or her presence would become obvious.

Thanks to her sources within the Daily Prophet, Pansy had been able to find out that it was Cho who had gone to Edgecombe with information about Draco's gene. It now made perfect sense. The two had been best friends in school, so they would have obviously stayed in touch after they graduated. Cho became a healer soon after Hogwarts, while Edgecombe became a reporter. Considering her line of work, it made sense that Cho would come into contact with high profile people and sensitive cases. Then thinking about how close the two were, it would be very likely that Edgecombe would either pry the information away from Chang unknowingly or simply ask her for it. Either way, there was no doubt in Pansy's mind that Chang had assisted in the leakage of classified information, possibly more than once. All the trouble Draco had been receiving, it was because of Chang. Nothing would stop Pansy from making sure that justice was served. She was going to make sure Chang paid for her mistakes.

After a few minutes went by, Cho walked up a short flight of stairs and entered an apartment building. Cursing her luck, Pansy quickened her pace and rushed towards the building as fast as she could. From the number of floors in the building, it was safe to assume there were dozens of apartments within it. Cho could live within any one of them. She'd have to act fast or she'd lose her shot. Running through the doors, Pansy noticed Cho walking into the elevator and pressing a button. Not wasting a moment to even catch her breath, she bolted towards the elevator and slid in just before the doors shut. Well, she was exposed now. She had to think of a cover story, and quick.

"Pansy? Pansy Parkinson? Is that you?" Cho gasped, looking at the woman in shock.  
"Cho? Wow! I haven't seen you in years! How are you?" Pansy smiled, it was fake of course. There was no way she'd be happy or pleased to see this woman in reality.

"I'm good, busy with work but that's to be expected when you're a healer. Still, things could be worse I guess. I don't need to ask how you are. You've got your own fashion brand now. Things must be going well for you." Cho stated, smiling back softly.

"You're a healer now? That's amazing! I don't think I could ever be a healer, the hours are far too draining for me to cope with." Pansy scoffed. Hopefully she'd be able to keep Chang distracted long enough to find out what floor she stopped at.

"It is quite demanding, but I've been doing it for so long now that I've got myself into a schedule. It's the norm to me, plus with the way I've set things up I still get a fair amount of rest, so it's not like I'm walking around deprived of sleep like some kind of zombie." Cho giggled, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.

The sound of a ding interrupted their conversation. Floor seven. A woman with dark brown hair wearing a short black dress entered the elevator. Her lipstick was slightly smudged and her hair was sticking out here and there. Rolling her eyes, Pansy took a step slightly closer to Cho, not wanting to be anywhere near the woman she suspected of being a prostitute. Who knows what diseases she had in her system.

"What brings you here Pansy? I didn't think you lived here." Cho inquired.

"Oh, I was just, visiting a friend." Pansy stated, probably a bit too quickly for her liking.

"Really? Isn't it a little late to be visiting someone?" Cho asked, curiously tilting her head. Silently cursing, Pansy tried to quickly think of some form of excuse.

"Well she wants me to take her measurements so I can design a dress for her for the Malfoy Ball coming up. Problem is she works all day everyday so nights are the only time she's free. Luckily I didn't have anything on for tonight so I came over as quickly as I could, that way I'd be out of her hair quickly and she'd be able to get some much needed rest." Pansy explained, lying through the skin of her teeth. From the looks of it though, Chang believed her, nodding every so often as Pansy spoke.

"She's lucky to have a friend like you. I'd love to be able to have someone personally design a dress for me. I can't afford anything fancy." Cho smiled. Smiling back, Pansy watched as the elevator continued to rise slowly to other floors. Ten, Eleven, Twelve.

Another ding filled her ears and she watched as Cho walked out from the doors. Floor twelve. She lived on floor twelve. Now if she could only delay the elevator a little longer so she could see what apartment number the woman lived in.

"Well, it was nice seeing you Pansy. I hope you have fun with your friend." Cho smiled politely, walking towards a door that was opposite the elevator. As she pulled out her keys, the doors slowly began to seal shut once again. Not knowing what else to do, Pansy quickly stuck her foot out to prevent them from closing, then quickly dropped her own keys to conceal her deliberate act of sabotage. 24B. Cho Chang lived on the twelfth floor in apartment 24B. Smiling to herself, Pansy picked up her keys and took a step back into the elevator. She'd done it. Now all she had to do was make the little witch pay for selling information that was not hers to give away.

 **Present day...**

Deciding to say nothing, Draco took another sip from his drink. He wasn't exactly sure he wanted to know what Pansy had done to make Cho give up that information, and he was pretty certain it was better off that way. The problem had been solved at least.

"So, are you going to invite me to dance?" Pansy asked, smiling softly at him.

"Exotic body grinding isn't exactly my style." Draco scoffed.

"Please, our days of body grinding are over. All I'm suggesting is we go into that crowd and jump around a bit, maybe even experience this thing called fun. Heard of it?" Pansy asked, smirking at him before finishing off her drink. Rolling his eyes, Draco smiled softly and stood up from his stool, placing his empty glass down on the bar.

"You and Blaise would have made a good couple, that is if your sole purpose was ganging up on me and making my life miserable." Draco smiled, offering her his hand.

"Oh we would have made you suffer for sure. But besides our love of torturing you, we don't have that much in common so you're safe for now." Pansy giggled, taking his hand and following him out to the crowd that had formed around the raised dance floor. He scoffed with a smile when he saw Ginny Weasley dragging her very uncomfortable looking fiancé upon onto it, obviously wanting to dance with him.

"Get up there Potter! Shake that ass!" Draco yelled, making Harry scowl in his direction. Winking playfully, Draco went back to dancing with Pansy, feeling very good about himself in that moment. For the first time in a few days, he was actually feeling relaxed. Despite the recent news he'd received, and the fact there was a countdown on his life, he was enjoying himself. He was having fun.

But as soon as the feeling had entered his system, it was gone just as quickly when a familiar feeling started spreading through his chest. The increase of his heart beating made him stop dead on the dance floor. The smell of cinnamon overwhelmed his senses. He could practically taste the Butterbeer on his tongue. The smell of parchment adding to the mix only confirmed what he already knew. Somewhere in the club, his mate was currently enjoying a night out, probably with her friends or a lover. She could be up there on the dance floor, or drinking at the bar, or just sitting down at one of the tables. He had to find her, it didn't matter if he spoke to her or not, he just needed to know her face. He needed to see her, to know what her name was.

"Draco? What's going on? Are you alright?" Pansy asked, concern etched into her face.

"She's here Pansy. My mate is here." Draco stated, his voice rushed and full of panic.

"Alright, calm down and take a deep breath. We'll find her." Pansy stated calmly. Before he could have even thought to nod, a scream suddenly filled his ears. His heart stopped in his chest, he knew who that scream belonged to. Jumping up onto the dance floor, he almost collapsed when he saw Flora on the floor, being held in the arms of his mate.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine:**

There's no Comfort in the Truth, Pain is all You'll Find

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate. Will he find her in time, or will he be too late?

 **Author's Note:** So, Draco knows who his mate is now! Yay! But did you really think it was going to be that easy? I'm sorry my little ones, but there's still several obstacles to overcome and there's still a few challenges that lay ahead. Sorry Draco. And also sorry to you guys, I think this chapter is a bit shorter than normal. Just struggled with it.

 **Featured Review: Random Person in Wonderland:** Love the title, in my opinion it would make awesome lyrics for a rock or pop love song like "Just the Girl" by The Click Five or "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet lol pretty much any song with the word girl in the title. Draco offending woman one comment at a time haha, at the same time his comebacks are fantastic (ex: what he said to Blaise when it was suggested that a club was a relaxing environment). Marietta Edgecombe, I cannot say I'm a fan of hers, she's just a thorn in my side. On the other hand, I simply adore Mitzi! That's one heck of a plot twist Draco having to eventually fight for the hand of his intended, nonetheless, I am looking forward to the battle the current Alpha needs to be taken down for condeming 5 couples to suffer their entire lives without each other. Fleur is a fantastic character. Cho Chang (can't say I ever liked her either lol) seriously disappointed in her, but Pansy (I'm so proud) is back on my good side, she's made up for the mate debacle in the previous chapter. Pansy and Blaise would be quite the power couple! Ahh what an ending! Not happy with the cliffhanger mind you, but I am estatic that Draco and hia mate will finally come face to face! Looking forward to more bro squad & girl squad hang outs, Hermione, Flora, and Narcissa bonding, and Dramiome of course! I am eagerly awaiting the next chapter!

 _Wow, that was a big review! But it helped me out so much with this chapter. The fact you're happy with Pansy's attempt of redemption really did mean a lot to_ me, as I'm trying to build her character back up. And I'm glad you like Mitzi, I'm trying to make her as adorable as possible. Plus, thank you for saying you're keen on seeing Hermione, Flora and Narcissa hanging out. I was hoping people would warm up to Flora. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **Special Mentions:** CLAL, Azxin  & Angel-Ali – Thank you all so much!

 **. . . . . . .**

Cassius walked into the remains of what had been Draco's library cautiously, making sure not to step on any broken chair legs or half burnt books. After Flora had been taken away by the Healers, Draco had instantly disappeared. No one knew where he'd gone, so Cassius had taken it upon himself to give everyone somewhere to check, a place Draco was likely to go. He'd left Draco's house till last, figuring it might be better if he searched that himself. He was slightly older than the rest of Draco's friends, and while they were mature and responsible, he didn't want them witnessing anything too graphic. He wanted to protect them from that, if he could. He was just praying that Draco hadn't done anything stupid, or was alright at the very least.

"Draco?" He called out into the darkness, casting a quick lumos to brighten his way. There was no response. Worrying started pumping through his veins, the worst of scenarios coming to mind. Quickening his pace, Cassius started jumping over broken tables and knocked over bookshelves, searching desperately for his friend.

Finding him was a bit more shocking than Cassius had imagined it would be. The blonde haired young man was curled up in a corner, his head resting on his knees as he sobbed softly. Several pages around him had been torn from books and ripped up repeatedly. His knuckles were bruised and covered in blood, no doubt from causing all the damage in the room. He was also shaking slightly. From a distance you wouldn't notice, but Cassius was close to tell that something was seriously wrong with Draco.

"Draco?" Cassius whispered softly, taking a few steps closer to his friend. If he'd heard him, Draco made no signs of showing it, nor an effort to respond. Sighing softly, Cassius sat down beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. There was a long pause before Draco seemed to calm down and his shaking began to subside.

"The Healers say Flora's going to be fine." Cassius stated, trying to start up a conversation with the distraught young man sitting beside him.

Cassius had been one of the first people on seen after hearing Flora scream. He didn't know what had happened, but one minute she'd been dancing and having a good time, then all of a sudden she was on the floor and bleeding. A young woman had instantly rushed to her aid and demanded that people backed up and got help. It was then he'd seen the gash on Flora's forehead and realised she must have hit the corner of the raised platform pretty bad. The wizard she'd been dancing with was no where to be seen, making Cassius think there had been some kind of foul play involved. But it hadn't taken long for the Healers to arrive and tend to Flora's injures. After that, they'd taken her away to be checked over, just to make sure she was alright. When he'd turned around to see if Draco was ok, he'd been surprised to see that he was gone. That was when he'd come up with the plan to find him as quickly as possible.

"I know who my mate is Cassius." Draco muttered softly, bringing Cassius out of his thoughts, snapping him back into reality with a shock. Draco knew his mate's identity?

"Draco, that's great! Who is it?" Cassius asked, excitement filling his voice.

"I bullied her throughout our education, treated her like dirt just because she was muggle born. She was tortured by my aunt, right in front of me. I just stood there and did nothing, watching as that woman carved the word mudblood into her arm. I'm not ruining her life any further by telling her she's my mate." Draco scoffed, standing up. It took a few moments for Cassius to connect the dots, but when he did, his eyes went wide in shock. Sweet Salazar, it couldn't be could it? Draco's mate, was Hermione Granger? The two were friends though, weren't they? Surely they'd figure it out? If she was friends with him, didn't that mean she'd forgiven him for what happened?

"So what, you're going to let yourself die instead of at least talking to her about it?" Cassius asked, anger and irritation filling his voice as he too stood up.

"Greyback was talking about raping her, Cass! He was going to bite her, infect her with the werewolf gene and rape her. Can you imagine what was going through her head!? Imagine how scared she was! Then she looked over at me, someone she'd know for years, someone she'd gone to school with! Do you know how desperate she was when she looked at me, her eyes begging for help, and then how distraught she felt after I did nothing and looked away? What kind of woman would then leap into my arms after I did that to them!? She's never going to be able to trust me after that!" Draco yelled.

"Draco, she works with you for crying out loud, she sees you almost every day and smiles in your direction. She talks to you willingly, laughs at your terrible jokes. She's your friend, she's trusted you when her life has been in your hands on several occasions. I think it's obvious she's forgiven you for what happened in the past, when you were kids I might add. You were scared, she knows that. Just talk to her. Please. You're my friend, I don't want you to die." Cassius pleaded, looking straight into Draco's eyes. The tension in the air could have been cut with a knife, but after a long pause Draco's shoulders finally sagged and he nodded softly, lowering his head.

"Fine. I'll talk to her." Draco whispered, his voice wobbling ever so slightly.

 **. . . . . . .**

Hermione Granger sat down on her sofa, taking in a deep breath before closing her eyes and letting her head fall back. It had been a long day, and an even longer night. She'd finally convinced herself that going to the opening of Incantatrix had been a good thing, and that Ginny had been right when she'd told her she needed to go out more. However as soon as she'd gotten there she'd instantly been greeted with trouble. She'd seen it happen, but she'd been too slow to react. Someone on the dance floor had bumped into Flora Malfoy, causing her to fall and hit her head on the side of the raised dance floor. She'd been knocked unconscious instantly and been given a very nasty looking gash on her forehead. Not wasting a second, Hermione had leapt up onto the dance floor and applied pressure to the wound, keeping it covered and reducing the rate of bleeding while she demanded others go and get help. The Healers had arrived moments later and Flora had been given the proper treatment she needed. She planned on going to visit the youngest Malfoy in the morning to see how she was and also to give Narcissa the list of people that had been present when she'd told Draco the news about his Veela gene. It wasn't a long list, but it still upset her that there was someone on it who had betrayed their vows and given out confidential information.

Pouring herself a small glass of wine, Hermione pulled out her wand and gave it a quick flick, making her radio start playing. While she may have been influenced by magic almost her entire life, she still enjoyed the odd occasional muggle contraption. Like a mobile phone for example. They were incredibly useful and gave you instant connections to people, but explaining that to a purely magically raised Ronald Weasley had been harder than she'd expected. For a man whose Father had studied muggles, Ron wasn't half clueless about them himself. He hadn't even know what a television was until Hermione had begun talking about one of her favourite tv shows.

" _Hey all you late nighters! This is Benny! Hope you're having a good night! Kick back and relax, because I've got some great tunes heading your way! For all those couples out there having a romantic evening, this one is for you!_ " The man on the radio announced before some gentle music started playing. Smiling softly, Hermione instantly recognised the song. There was a new film coming out in a few months called Moulin Rouge and everyone she knew was going nuts about it, well everyone who was aware of cinemas. People like Ronald Weasley still had no clue. But one actor named Ewan McGregor was staring in it, and had done several songs within the film. So many women were now obsessed with him and his singing voice, as several of the trailers had been released now, some of which featured McGregor's take on Elton John's "Your Song" that was made in the nineteen seventies. Even she had to admit, the man had a beautiful voice and did the original artist proud.

Getting up from the sofa, Hermione started swaying to the music and the lyrics just as her favourite part of the song began playing, a bright smile forming across her face. While she never considered herself a great singer, that didn't stop her belting it out.

" _So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do_

 _You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue_

 _Anyway the thing is, what I really mean_

 _Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen."_

Little did she know, there was a man standing outside her house, watching her through the window from a slight distance. That man was Draco Malfoy, who was in complete awe of the woman before him. He was stunned by how easily she swayed to the music and how beautiful her voice sounded with the man that was singing on the strange muggle contraption he'd discovered not long ago was called a radio. In that moment, Draco realised something: she was perfectly happy, and showing up now to deliver the news that she was his mate would definitely ruin that. But he couldn't struggle against the deniable pull for much longer. He had two choices, leave or tell her. Either way, he'd have to make the decision soon or the Veela gene was going to drag him in there.

" _I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words,_

 _How wonderful life is, now you're in the world."_

After a grand ending, the song's music began to fade and Hermione sat down on the sofa once again, picking up her glass of wine. Not wasting a second, Draco quickly started walking away, knowing if she'd have looked up a second sooner she would have seen him staring into her window. How would he have explained that without sounding crazy? Sighing, he continued walking down the dimly lit streets and put his hands into his pockets, trying desperately to think of a way that he could tell Hermione what was going on, how much he needed to be close to her, without sounding creepy. Then those words began echoing in his head, the words from the song.

"I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words..." Draco muttered to himself. That was it! He still had until his birthday to fully transform. In that time, he wasn't going to be at work so there probably wasn't much chance of him seeing her anyway, well, without chickening out at the last minute like he'd done mere moments ago. He could just write her a letter, explaining what the situation was and let her decide what she wanted to do without any awkward encounters or prolonged silences. In his mind it was the perfect solution. Well, the solution that got him out of talking to her for now. He had told Cassius he'd speak with her, but he'd never said when that would be.

Heading home, Draco felt very happy with the plan he had come up with and instantly went into his office to begin drafting the letter. However as soon as the quill hit the paper, he lost all the things he'd been planning to write and his mind went completely blank. How on earth would he even start? Something along the lines of; Hey Hermione, you know that whole Veela thing? Turns out you're my mate. Surprise! No, he had to be delicate and sensitive about the matter. It was going to change both of their lives forever. He didn't even know if she was dating anyone. Sighing softly, he ran a hand through his hair and got up from his chair, planning to a get a good nights sleep before he began attempting to write that letter. A refreshed brain would prove very useful.

 **. . . . . . .**

Cho Chang looked into the hospital room that contained Flora Malfoy, watching the sleeping woman curiously. This was the first she'd heard of the Malfoy's second child and it had been a pain in the ass transferring all her medical records from France. But in the end they'd gotten it sorted and Miss Malfoy was given all the treatment she needed after receiving a head injury. They'd decided to keep her in overnight, just for observation. You could never be too sure with head injuries, they were dangerous things. A hand grabbing her shoulder suddenly made her jump in shock.

" _ **I swear, if I ever hear you've been giving away classified information again, I will end you. Do you understand me?**_ " Pansy Parkinson's voice snarled in her mind, bringing tears to her eyes. She hadn't meant to. It had been an accident. She'd just got so caught up talking to Marietta, she hadn't been thinking about what she was saying and before she knew it she'd told her best friend about the whole Veela thing. She'd made Marietta promise she'd say nothing, but unfortunately she'd broken that promise, and now Cho was paying the price for that in the form of an angry Pansy Parkinson.

"Cho? Is everything alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." Padma Patil asked.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just a little tired. It's been a long shift." Cho shrugged.

"Tell me about it. Mr. Tupel is demanding I change how I have my hair, apparently it annoys him that the ponytail swishes from side to side." Padma scoffed.  
"He hates everything, don't take it personally. He told me the other day my lips are a funny shape and I should think about having work done." Cho giggled.

"Merlin, I swear, the older they get the crueller their words become." Padma sighed.

Looking down, Cho received a mental reminder that age had nothing to do with cruelness. Some people were nice, others weren't. That was just the way the world worked. Padma Patil was a nice person, always looking out for others. Pansy Parkinson was a self centred, evil woman who only cared about herself and money.

" _ **You've caused a lot of trouble for my friend. I could easily destroy your career and make you suffer for the rest of your life. But I'm leaving you with this as a warning. Make the same mistake again, and I won't be as forgiving.**_ " Pansy's voice hissed, making a shiver travel down her spine, making her think of the scratches that were now there, marking her skin.

"Who knew the Malfoy's had a second kid huh? She's very pretty, I wonder why they kept her hidden in France all this time?" Padma mused, looking over at Flora.

"We may never know." Cho muttered before walking off, tears falling down her cheeks.

 **. . . . . . .**

Putting the bottle of wine back into the fridge, Hermione cleaned up the plates and glasses that had been left on the side by the sink before heading upstairs to her room to get ready for bed. Luckily, she had a day off work tomorrow and she was planning on having a nice long lay in to catch up on all the sleep she'd missed out on. While it wasn't too much, she still felt a little sleep deprived. Having a few extra hours wouldn't hurt, and it would probably balance her out, not to mention make her feel better.

As she pulled off her shirt, the sound of a smash suddenly filled her ears, making her jump in shock and fright. It had come from downstairs. Either Crookshanks had broken something or there was someone breaking into her house. Grabbing her wand, she started quietly walking down the stairs, completely forgetting she currently only had a bra to shield her torso. Her heart was frantically beating in her chest, so loudly she was scared that it might be heard by the person who had broken in. Pushing her fear aside, Hermione straightened her posture and continued to silently make her way through her house, searching each room until she reached her office. The door was open, which was definitely not how she'd left it. Taking a quick breath in, Hermione pushed the door open quickly and aimed her wand out in front of her.

"Don't move or I will use this!" She yelled, and a hooded figure stopped moving. Their back was facing her, so she couldn't see her intruder's face. Taking a step closer, Hermione noticed that the draws on her desk had been pulled out and the contents tipped onto the floor. Her bookshelves were now empty and her books were scattered here there and everywhere. Several photos that had been on display were now broken and surrounded by shattered glass. Struggling to contain her anger, Hermione pushed her wand against the figure's neck, ready to use it should she need to.

"Who are you? And what are you doing looking through my office?" She demanded. The figure didn't answer, instead they forced their leg back, knocking Hermione off hers. She landed on the floor with a loud thump, making her cry out in pain. Her wand rolled under one of the bookshelves, making her groan in frustration. The figure then took their chance and ran out of the room. Not wasting a second, Hermione got to her feet and started running after the figure, not planning on letting them get away.

Throwing herself forward, she managed to grab onto the figure and push them to the ground. However, she'd seriously underestimated the strength of her opponent. They managed to grab her wrist in a mere second and threw her to the side, making her collide with the wall. In her stunned state, Hermione only just managed to see the figure pick a piece of paper up from the floor before running out of the door. They were gone, and in her state she wasn't going to be able to catch them. Sighing, she slowly raised a hand to her head only to wince and recoil instantly. Looking down at her fingers, she noticed they were stained in blood. She could feel it trickling down the side of her face, staining her pale skin with a warm red liquid. Pushing herself to her feet, Hermione slowly made her way to the living room and picked up her land line before dialling a number she knew off by heart. She needed help.

"Hello Hermione. Is everything alright?" His voice called down the phone.

"Harry, someone's just broken into my house." Hermione whispered, shaking slightly.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten:**

My Heart is Beating, in a Different Way

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate. Will he find her in time, or will he be too late?

 **Author's Note:** I'm very sorry about the delay in chapters. I've been having some issues at work that have been taking up most of my time, due to the fact that the HR department seriously needs to get it's ass in gear rather than wasting my time. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter, because Hermione's robbery aside, that's as calm as it's going to get for a while. May I present to you ladies and gentlemen, the first obstacle that will be getting in Draco's way...

 **Featured Review:** **Claclm ~** Ahhh I thought you were being cruel in the last chapter, but this THIS WHY? I'm so curious now and with a lot of theories. I love it (as always) can't wait for the next.

 _Thank you for this lovely review and I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. Well, the title is Cruel Wanting, if I wasn't cruel to the readers what kind of writer would I be xD Anyway, I'm glad to hear you have several theories, I hope you enjoy the chapter._

 **Special Mentions:** WinterWillows, Guest (x2)  & andherestograce

 **. . . . . . .**

The mahogany grandfather clock was ticking too loudly for her liking, almost as if it were somehow doing it on purpose to annoy her. But she pushed it aside and focused on the far more important matters at hand. It was finally time to get what she deserved. All she needed was one final signature, and the document would be finished.

"Miss Edgecombe, he's ready for you." The young woman at the desk stated.

"Thank you." Marietta smiled, standing up from her seat before walking into the office. Upon entering, the first thing she was met with was the very powerful smell of oranges. The citrus scent travelled up her nose and almost made her gag. But she managed to keep herself composed as she travelled to the mahogany desk at the back of the room where an elderly man was seated, watching her approach with curiosity.

"Miss Edgecombe, I must say this is a pleasant surprise. How is your Father?" The man asked, lifting a steaming cup up to his lips before taking a very loud sip from it.

"He's very well thank you sir, he sends his regards." Marietta stated, smiling politely at him while trying her best not to claw her eyes out while listening to his loud sips.

"You know, Ike and I go way back. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have agreed to see you today. Your Father called in a favour for his only daughter, so who was I to turn him down. But if it had been anyone else requesting my services, who couldn't afford them, I would have turned them down flat. So consider yourself lucky girl." The man snarled.

"I do sir, you have been very generous to grant me some of your invaluable time." Marietta nodded. Flattery and compliments went a long way with this man. His ego fed upon them like a tick on a fat dog. A smirk slowly spread across the man's lips.

"So, what can I do for you today?" He asked, leaning back in his brown leather chair.

Grabbing her handbag off the floor, she quickly pulled the file out from within it and placed it on the desk in front of him. Without hesitation, the man took the folder and opened it, examining the contents within. After a few minutes, he glanced up at her with an almost disapproving look upon his face. But she knew it didn't matter what his opinion of it was, he was a man of his word, and he'd vowed to do this for her.

"Do you really believe this is a good idea, Miss Edgecombe. He's a dangerous man, especially in the state he's in. I seriously this contract would go down well with him, who knows what he would do." The man scoffed, pushing the file back over to her.

"Whether he's happy with it or not doesn't matter. His daddy signed the deed, meaning he is legally bound to follow through with the conditions of this contract." Marietta scoffed, pushing the file back towards the man, standing up as she did so. His eyes instantly widened at the gesture, looking up at her in shock as well as fear.

"And what makes you think he'll follow through with those conditions?" The man asked.

"I have a few tricks up my sleeves. Now do as you promised, and sign." Marietta ordered, picking up a pen before throwing it at him. She watched with satisfaction when he jumped in fear before nervously picking up then pen to sign the document. It wouldn't be long now, all these months of planning would finally result in her reward.

 **. . . . . . .**

 _Oh shit! Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!_

Those two words were all that were echoing through his head. His heart was beating ten times faster than it was meant to, his skin was becoming clammy and sweaty. He could smell her scent coming from inside. What the hell was she doing at the Manor? Taking a deep breath, he slowly summoned the courage to ring the doorbell. Moments later, Jinx opened the door and looked up at him with a raised brow.

"Master Malfoy, what brings you here?" Jinx asked, disgust obviously in his voice.

"I've come to visit my Mother jinx, she sent me an owl stating I needed to come over as soon as possible." Draco explained, trying his best not to strangle the rude creature.

"Mistress Malfoy is in the living room." Jinx stated before stepping aside so Draco could walk in. Without even thanking the elf, Draco marched in and headed straight for the living room. The increasing power of his mate's scent only confirmed what he feared in the first place, not only was she in the house but she was also with his Mother. When he reached the living room, he froze slightly in shock.

Sitting on the sofa was Hermione Granger, cuddling the orange ball of fluff she called a pet. Her hair was a mess, several bruises were forming on her arms and there was a slight gash on her forehead. He wanted to pull her into his arms and find out what had happened to her, he wanted to show her how much he cared about her, hell he wanted to mark her right then and there and claim her as his own. But something told him that she probably wouldn't appreciate that right now. Noticing his entrance, Hermione put Crookshanks down and ran over to him, hugging him tightly. He instantly stiffened, having not expected that kind of reaction from her, but returned the embrace eagerly. This was the first contact he'd had with her after finding out she was his mate and he wasn't going to waste a second of it, he was going to treasure each and every moment.

"Draco, it's so good to see you! How have you been? Are you adjusting well with the whole Veela situation? Do you need help with anything?" She asked, her voice a mixture of rushed excitement and concern. Smiling softly, he grabbed her cheeks softly.

"I'm fine Granger, honestly. Now, more importantly, what happened to you?" Draco inquired, looking directly into her eyes, hoping she would see he was far more worried about her than catching up. Before she could have spoken, his Mother interrupted.

"Miss Granger will be staying with us for a little while. Someone broke into her house in the early hours of the morning. Mister Potter believed she'd be safer here, as it's somewhere no one would think to look for her." Narcissa explained, smiling softly.

While he loved his Mother dearly, he sometimes wished she wouldn't interfere with his personal life. She wasn't aware Hermione was his mate, but something told him that she had her suspicions. Nodding softly, he looked back at Hermione.

"Do you know who it was that broke into your house?" Draco asked.

"No. All I know is that they took a piece of paper and then left as quickly as they could." Hermione stated, shaking her head as she spoke. Sighing, Draco pulled her closer and hugged her once again. What if something worse had happened? What if she'd got seriously hurt? He'd never be able to live with himself if that had happened. He was surprised when she returned his hug with equal enthusiasm. Had she really missed him that much? He'd only been gone for a little while. Noticing the look his Mother was giving him, he quickly pulled away and tried his best to hide his blush.

"Well, I should probably try to get ahead on some of my assignments. Even though I'm not needed at work, that doesn't mean I'm sitting around doing nothing for these next few weeks. Thank you once again for letting me stay here Mrs. Malfoy." Hermione smiled, giving a brief nod of gratitude before leaving the front room and rushing up the stairs as quickly as she could. Once she was gone, Draco turned around to see his Mother smirking at him, her arms folded across her chest.

Rolling his eyes, he closed the door and sat down on the sofa.

"So, when were you planning on telling me that she is your mate?" Narcissa asked.

"Whatever gave you that impression?" Draco scoffed, leaning back in his seat.

"Other than the fact you were blushing brighter than a firefly, your eyes had a slight golden tint to them. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that only happens in the presence of a Veela's mate." Narcissa shrugged, sitting down next to her son with a smug smile.

"Should I bow down and congratulate you on your discovery?" Draco sighed.

"There's no need to act like that Draco. I'm just pleased it's someone like her, she's smart, kind, pretty and she's good to you. What's more important is that she cares about you. I'd much rather that than someone who merely seeks you out for a title." Narcissa stated, stroking his cheek. He swatted her hand away, but smiled all the same. At least he knew his Mother approved. All that was left was his Father.

"I don't know how to tell her." Draco mumbled, looking down at his feet as he spoke.

"The sooner you tell her the better. It will become more and more difficult the longer you leave it. And I think I might have a way to help you do that." Narcissa stated.

"How so? It's not like it's going to be easy." Draco scoffed.

"Not when you're constantly coming and going. That's why I've made arrangements for Miss Granger to be relocated with you." Narcissa explained, looking at Draco smugly.

"WHAT?!" His eyes were wide, full of shock and fear. She couldn't stay with him! There's no telling what he'd do if he couldn't keep the Veela under control. She was safer in the Manor, not with him! How could his Mother not see that?! Was she insane?!

"I sent an owl to Mr. Potter shortly after I sent one to you. He agreed it might be more suitable to have her stay with you. Seeing as I am required to leave from time to time, she'd be much safer around you, since you hardly ever leave your home." Narcissa pointed out. Sighing softly, Draco ran a hand through his hair and stood up. While it was true, Hermione would be a lot more safer with him around, especially considering the fact a Veela would die to protect their mate, there was still no telling if she'd be safe from **him**. He was still struggling to control his emotions whilst he was alone. Only Merlin could know what he'd be like around his mate all hours of the day. She'd be sleeping right across the hall for crying out loud! She'd be bathing in his…

 _NO! Don't think about that! Don't think about it! La la la la la! Kittens! Puppies!_

"Draco? Is everything alright?" Narcissa asked, placing a hand on her son's shoulders when she noticed his distant and vacant expression. Snapping out of his thoughts, Draco nodded and smiled softly. Sweet Merlin, save him from all this stress.

"I guess I'd better let Granger know she needs to pack up her stuff." Draco sighed, then left the living room and headed upstairs slowly. He could already smell her scent. It was heavenly, it almost made rationally thinking impossible as it filled his senses. Reaching the guest bedroom, he knocked softly on the door before entering.

"Granger? There's been a slight change of pla-..." Draco started, the stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed that Hermione was half way through taking her shirt off.

 **. . . . . . .**

The first thing she heard was a scream from a woman, followed by a yell from a man and finally the sound of a loud thump coming from upstairs. Cautiously, she put down her bags and ascended the staircase, wanting to know what on earth had happened. As she got closer to the source of all the commotion, she could hear voices arguing.

"What the hell Draco?!" The female's voice demanded, sounding very embarrassed.

"I'm sorry! I didn't realise you'd be changing!" The male's voice responded. Draco?

"That's why you wait for a response before you come barging into the room! Didn't anyone ever teach you patience?!" The female groaned, anger now filling her voice.

"I said I'm sorry!" Draco's voice repeated, slight irritation lining on his own voice.

"What did you even want?" The female's voice sighed.

"I believe what my son was going to tell you was that there has been a change of plans. You'll be staying with him for the next few weeks rather than with myself. Given my position, I'm not always going to be in the house, and while I trust my house elves with your safety, I think Draco may provide a better source of it with his constant presence." Narcissa announced, interrupting the arguing young adults. Looking between them, she couldn't help but smile when she noticed Draco's blushing cheeks and Hermione's dropped jaw. It was going to take some work, but she'd definitely get them together.

"Concerning you previous statement: yes, someone did teach him patience. However it seems apparent that the message did not go through. Please do not hesitate to hex him should it ever happen again." Narcissa added, casting a glare in Draco's direction.

"Don't worry. I won't." Hermione snarled, also glaring at Draco who bowed his head in a mixture of shame and fear. Smiling softly, Narcissa looked over at Hermione.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to pick up Flora from St. Mungo's. It appears she is well enough to come home for the rest of her recovery." Narcissa stated, Smiling then left the pair of them to sort things out between themselves. She had no doubt that Miss Granger would be able to put Draco in his place whenever the situation called for it. She had no fears for the girl being alone with her son, she was very well capable of standing up for herself, and making Draco feel like a five year old who had been caught stealing cookies from the jar. She could understand why Draco was probably concerned about her staying with him, but she had faith in her son too. She knew he'd be able to keep his emotions under control, and maybe just even tell Hermione the truth while he was at it. Reaching the fireplace, she took a deep breath before declaring her destination and watched as the green flames surrounded her entire body.

 **. . . . . . .**

Tapping the spoon on the side of her teacup, Pansy Parkinson watched as Marietta Edgecombe walked over to her slowly. The woman seemed more egotistical than usual. There was a smug smirk on her face, one that seemed to spread a feeling of dread throughout Pansy's entire body. What had that woman done now?

"Pansy, funny running into you here. How is everything?" Edgecombe asked sweetly.

"It was a lot better before I saw you. What do you want Marietta? My time is precious and I can't be wasting it on you." Pansy scoffed, taking a quick sip of her tea.

"Why so hostile Pansy? We're practically the same, you and I. When we want something, we don't stop until we get it, no matter the costs." Edgecombe smirked, sitting down opposite Pansy, even though she'd received no invitation to do so.

"We are nothing alike, Edgecombe. I have morals and respect for other people. You on the other hand are a vindictive bitch who takes pleasure in ruining people's lives." Pansy snarled, staring at Marietta with such hate she'd be dead if it were possible.

"Really? Would Miss Chang agree with that statement?" Marietta asked. A slight pang of guilt spread through Pansy's heart, but it disappeared almost as quickly as it had formed. Cho had broken several confidentiality agreements, and there was no way those stupid Aurors would have found out in the time for any action to be taken. She needed to be punished for the crimes she'd committed. Right there and then.

"It's not like you care about what happens to Cho. You've used her as a means to get your stories for years. She trusted you and you betrayed that trust just so you career wouldn't have been a failure like most people expected it to be." Pansy hissed.

It was in that moment, Pansy knew she'd hit a nerve, as Edgecombe's eye twitched slightly. Obviously her bad start in journalism was a tender spot. Smirking slightly, Pansy raised her cup to her lips and took a very slow sip, watching her smugly.

"You watch your mouth Parkinson, because I could easily ruin you." Marietta spat. A loud laugh escaped Pansy's lips, making everyone currently occupying the cafe look in their direction. An uncomfortable expression soon formed across Marietta's face, but Pansy on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious to their newly formed audience.

"Name one way you could ruin me." Pansy giggled, enjoying the sight of her squirm.

"Well for one, I could tell the press about the abuse you gave Cho." Marietta stated.

"True, but would that really work out for you? In my interrogation, I'd have to give a reason for why I did it, and don't you think for a moment I wouldn't hesitate in telling them that you've been breaking conduct for years in your field by obtaining classified information through unintentional means without consent. I may be given a few months in Azkaban, or maybe some community service or house arrest, but your career would be over in the blink of an eye. No one would take you seriously, you'd lose everything. Anything else, Edgecombe?" Pansy asked, no longer hiding her smirk. Glaring at her, Marietta stood up quickly and gathered her handbag from the floor. Turning around to leave, she paused slightly and looked back at Pansy.

"You may think you're in a great position right now, you may think you've got me exactly where you want me, but trust me, the tables will turn soon and I'll be the one laughing as your life crumbles around you." Edgecombe snarled, then stormed off.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that love." Pansy scoffed, finishing her cup of tea.

"Is there anything else you require Madam?" The waiter asked, standing beside her whilst picking up her now empty cup. Looking up at him, Pansy smiled softly.

"No, thank you Carlton. I'll just have my bill please." She stated kindly.

"Of course Miss Parkinson." The waiter nodded, walking off quickly to fetch her bill.

Whilst she was waiting, Pansy couldn't help but think about what Marietta had said before she left. What had she meant when she'd said the tables were going to turn? What did that evil woman have planned? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

 **. . . . . . .**

Hermione watched as Draco carried her luggage up the stairs. He seemed a lot more muscular now she thought about it. There were definitely muscles where previously there had been none, or very little. Was this the Veela gene kicking in? Or had he just been working out in his spare time? Taking the time while he was gone, Hermione decided to have a quick look around. She was going to be living there for the next few weeks, she figured it might be a good idea to familiarise herself with the surroundings. It was in a sense, just a smaller version of Malfoy Manor. The only difference being the added flares of Draco dotted around here and there. Entering the living room, Hermione couldn't help but smile when she noticed a familiar picture on the fireplace mantle. Walking over, she picked it up and sat down on the sofa as she watched the memory play out before her, almost as if it were only yesterday.

 **A few years back…**

"Family is a very simple word to define. Normally, if you asked someone what a family is, they'd say a group of people who are related by blood or marriage. But I personally have a different definition. Family is not always about blood, it's about who is willing to hold your hand when you need it most. Someone you met yesterday can be more like family to you than someone you've know for years. It's one of life's greatest blessings to have a family, they're a unit of people who love and support one another through both the good times and the bad. Harry, I've always thought of you as my brother. I don't need a sheet of paper to tell me that. But nonetheless, welcome to the family. Here's to the happy couple. Oh, and if you hurt my sister, you're dead." Ron chuckled, raising his glass. A collective laugh erupted around the room, but soon the guests followed and raised their glasses to toast the newly weds.

"Thank you for that moving speech Mr. Weasley. Now, it's time for our happy couple to take to the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife." Minerva McGonagall smiled, giving a quick flick of her wand, making the lights dim ever so slightly around the room except for the dance floor. Offering her his hand, Harry stood up and guided Ginny out onto the dance floor. As soon as the music began playing, the couple danced elegantly across the room, earning several cheers and whistles from the audience.

"Something tells me that Harry doesn't give a damn about all eyes being on him right now. I know that bothers him, but in this moment, I think the only person he sees in the entire room is the woman in his arms." Draco stated, sitting down next to Hermione.

"I think you may be right. He's far too happy to care about the people watching him." Hermione nodded, smiling fondly at the man who she too had thought of as a brother. She'd been incredibly happy that the pair had decided to tie the knot. They both deserved each other, anyone could see that they were a match made in heaven.

"Well, looks like Weasley is dragging some poor unfortunate girl onto the dance floor. I think we should get out there so everyone's looking at us to save that girl the embarrassment of being seen dancing with Weasley." Draco smirked, offering her his hand. Rolling her eyes, Hermione took his hand and followed him onto the dance floor.

Just as he'd speculated, several people started murmuring when they saw the pair dancing together. No one was focusing on Ron's "dancing" any more, instead, they were interested in seeing the Slytherin Prince and the Gryffindor Princess entwined in one another's arms. Giving her a 'I told you so' look, Draco effortlessly twirled her around, then brought her back up against his chest. She giggled softly, clinging onto his shoulders for support after having gone a little bit dizzy. A tap on Draco's shoulder made the pair stop dancing and look behind them, where Harry was standing.

"If you don't mind Draco, I'd like to switch partners for a little bit." Harry smiled.

"Alight Potter, but I'm leading." Draco shrugged, placing one hand on Harry's back before gently grabbing his hand. The blush on Harry's cheeks could have rivalled the brightness of the sun. Rolling her eyes, Hermione took Harry's free hand and guided him away from Draco before placing her hand on his shoulder. Ginny then approached Draco, slapping his ass quickly which resulted in a yelp from the blonde.

"Consider that avenging my husband. Now, will you honour the bride with a dance?" Ginny smirked, holding her hand out expectantly at him. He took it and bowed slightly.

"Of course, your highness. I expect any other response would have resulted in me being even more publicly humiliated?" He inquired, beginning to dance with her.

"You are correct. So, what's going on between you and Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not quite sure what you mean." Draco shrugged, spinning Ginny around quickly.

"I've seen the way you look at her. There's something there, whether you're aware of it or not yet, you feel something towards her. Mark my words, somewhere down the line, you're not going to be able to think of anyone else..." Ginny smirked.

 **Present Day…**

Draco stood in the doorway, watching from a distance as Hermione examined the picture that had been resting on the mantle of his fireplace. The photo contained him and Hermione standing at the front of a small group, sticking their tongues out. Harry and Ginny were behind them, sharing a tender kiss whilst Ron was at the back, staring at a woman's ass as she so happened to walk past while the picture was being taken. The words Ginny had told him when they'd been dancing that night, suddenly came crashing down on him. She'd been right the entire time. While he may not have been aware of it, there had been something there between him and Hermione. It had been in his genes all along, he'd been destined to fall for the woman sitting on his sofa.

"It was a fun night, wasn't it?" Hermione smiled, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Oh definitely, seeing Weasley get so drunk he fell over while trying to dance definitely mad my night." Draco chuckled, sitting down next to her while watching the picture.

"I think my favourite part was when Harry came over to you asking to switch partners, and you grabbed him saying you were going to lead." Hermione giggled.

"Think he's still mad at me about that?" Draco asked, a smirk forming across his face.

"Oh definitely. I've seen his basement. There's loads of angry scribbles on the wall that say 'die, Draco, die!', and pictures of you with darts in them." Hermione teased.

Chuckling softly, he placed the picture back on the mantle and looked over at her.

"Mitzi is preparing dinner. It will be ready at six, but if you want to unpack and get sorted in the mean time, your bedroom is on the top floor at the end of the corridor." Draco stated. Nodding softly, Hermione stood up and walked towards him.

"Thank you for letting me stay here Draco, I do really appreciate it. I know you've been busy with the whole Veela ordeal. If you need any help with that by the way, I'd be happy to lend you a hand. But, that aside, I know you've had other things on your plate and I do really want to thank you for helping me out." Hermione smiled, hugging him softly. Blushing slightly, Draco wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. Her scent was overpowering. She smelled divine! He wanted to take her right there and then, on the fucking floor if he had to. Or on the sofa. Or by the fireplace…

 _Stop it! You're doing it again! Stop thinking about her like that you pervert! Think of something else! Like rainbows...or bubbles...Hermione in a bubble bath. Fuck!_

"I'll go get unpacked. But I'll see you at dinner. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you out, whether it's research or little jobs around the house. I may be a guest here, but that doesn't mean I don't want to help out." Hermione stated, then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the living room and ascending up the stairs. Draco however, remained a solid statue until he heard the sound of her bedroom door shutting. A soft growl left his lips, followed by his shoulders finally relaxing after having been tensed for so long. Looking down, he sighed softly.

"Now for a cold shower." He muttered.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven:**

There's no nicer Witch than you

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate. Will he find her in time, or will he be too late?

 **Author's Note: PLEASE READ!** Hey guys, I hope you're all doing well. Just hoping to grab a moment of your time before you continue on to the chapter. Recently, I've found myself struggling to have the time to upload chapters due to the fact I'm very overworked and seriously underpaid for it. Unfortunately paying the bills and sorting out my finances take the priority at the moment. Plus, I'm trying to work on my own book but that's not going well either. If you guys could please support me "p.a.t.r.e.o.n" on this would be a massive help. There are rewards for donations, but it doesn't make anything unfair on anyone, it will just help me put more of my focus into writing. It's completely optional, but support is greatly appreciated. I hope enjoy the chapter!

 **Support Me At P.A.T.R.E.O.N** **:** Account Name: WinterCoffee

 **Featured Review:** **WinterWillows ~** Oh my, a sexually frustrated Draco, what a delicious thought...Will there be some lemons coming soon? Detailed lemons are clearly essential for the plot, anyone in their right mind can see that ;-)  
Oh the possibilities of Hermione and Draco living together, anything could happen! The lovely cliches of him walking in on her in the bath or perhaps hearing her cry out during a nightmare and rushing in to comfort her - hey, things become cliches for a reason, usually because they're blooming good, am I right or am I right?! Or maybe our gorgeous Hermione is feeling a tad frustrated herself and decides to go solo in the hope it will help her sleep better, and of course Draco's super-sensitive veela hearing tells him exactly what she's doing...  
Um, I've just realised that my entire review is focused on sex. Ahem. On another note, I hate Marietta and I'm seriously worried about what she's up to, eek! Please don't make me wait any longer for the next update, please *makes puppy dog eyes*

 _Oh my lord, what a lovely review! While yes, the majority was focused on sex, I love some of your suggestions and I may have to consider them in the future if it comes around. Also, you'll discover what Marietta's plan is soon. Don't you worry! I'll try to update as frequently as I can!_

 **Special Mentions:** Claclm, the3littlewords  & Blu3zClu3z

 **Previously…**

"I'll go get unpacked. But I'll see you at dinner. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you out, whether it's research or little jobs around the house. I may be a guest here, but that doesn't mean I don't want to help out." Hermione stated, then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the living room and ascending up the stairs. Draco however, remained a solid statue until he heard the sound of her bedroom door shutting. A soft growl left his lips, followed by his shoulders finally relaxing after having been tensed for so long. Looking down, he sighed softly.

"Now for a cold shower." He muttered.

 **. . . . . . .**

Draco watched as women in elegant ballgowns were twirled around by their partners, smiles spread across the faces. He couldn't deny it, his Mother had really gone all out this year. This ball was definitely the best one yet, the decorations, the music, it couldn't be described in mere words. All he could say about it was 'wow'. Upon entering the ballroom, he'd been shocked to say the least. Fairly lights and chandeliers hung from the ceilings while elegant royal blue curtains draped the walls. The floor was now a pale shade of gold, not that reflective but enough to give off a slight shine, hinted with darker browns here and there in elegant patterns. Standing upon a raised stage were smartly dressed musicians, each of them holding some kind of orchestral instrument. Waiters moved through the crowds, holding trays containing champagne on their hand, balanced to perfection with no fear of falling off. What had taken him back even further was the dress Hermione was wearing. He'd seen it before. It was the first dress Pansy had ever made, but had hidden it away from the world due to the unpopularity of the colour at the time. He'd tried telling her she was crazy and that she should put the dress up in her store when she opened it, but she'd ignored his suggestions and put the dress in a cupboard where he presumed it had stayed ever since. But seeing it on Hermione, he was glad now that she'd chosen to ignore him.

The dress itself was created from multiple layers of feather-light satin organza dyed yellow, cut broadly in a circular shape. The top two layers were printed with gold leaf filigree in a pattern matching the ballroom's Rococo floor and accentuated with 2,160 Swarovski crystals. She looked like a princess as she was spun around the dance floor by Harry. The dress flowed elegantly around her body, flaring out while she twirled. He couldn't help but notice several of his Mother's guests were also watching her as well. A protective snarl left his lips, not loud enough for anyone to hear but himself. As much as he wanted to rip all their eyes out for staring at his mate, he couldn't really cause a scene, especially not at a ball aimed to fundraise for the War Orphans.

"My my, look at you. Haven't you grown up." A familiar voice gasped from besides him. Looking to his right, he couldn't hide his smile when he noticed his Aunt Andromeda.

"Aunt Andi! It's so good to see you!" Draco smiled, pulling her into a quick hug before letting her go. She returned the hug just as eagerly, squeezing her nephew softly.

"You're so tall now. The last time I saw you you only just reached my ribs." She giggled.

"Well it has been a while. How's Teddy?" Draco asked, referring to his distant cousin.

"Growing up almost as quickly as you. Hard to believe he's four. He's got so much of his Mother in him. Nymphadora would have been proud, he's such a sweet child." Andromeda stated, a fond and yet sad smile on her face. Draco reflected her expression. While he hadn't exactly been close to Nymphadora, she had been family.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I was hoping I might steal a dance from you Ms. Tonks." A suited stranger suddenly stated, offering his hand out to Andromeda.

"Of course, if you'll excuse me Draco. We must catch up sometime." Andromeda smiled before departing from the conversation, hand in hand with a handsome man.

Glancing back over at Hermione, Draco couldn't help but notice she was now walking over to the bar with Harry, and whilst doing so she was receiving more and more amorous winks from the other men at the ball, some who were over twice her age. Not being able to stand for it any longer, Draco started marching over to the pair when he was stopped as a hand grabbed his shoulder, yanking him back with a small amount of force. Spinning around, he noticed Cassius giving him a warning glance before sighing.

"Draco, if you go around mauling people at a fundraiser, I can assure you the press will have an even worse opinion of you than they previously did. Use tonight to suck up to them, show yourself in a good light. For the love of god, don't give them ammunition." Cassius pleaded, looking at Draco, begging and praying to his common sense. Before Draco could interrupt, he felt a new hand rest upon his shoulder, but this one was soft and belonged to Flora. She smiled at the pair politely before looking at Draco.

"I hate to interrupt, but I believe my Brother owes me a dance." The young blonde woman smirked. Taking a moment, Draco examined the dress she'd chosen for the ball. It was an elegant off the shoulder empire waist ballgown with an a-line neck and featured a crystal embellished bodice. It suited her well, but he had to take a moment to stop himself from mentally throwing up when he realised how much he knew about dresses. He'd been spending far too much time with Pansy these past few years.

"The lady has spoken. Excuse me Cassius." Draco smiled, nodding briefly at his friend before taking Flora's hand and guided her onto the dance floor. A new song began playing as they stopped, Swan Lake, Draco believed. He wasn't that familiar with classical music, but it was a very recognisable and iconic piece of music.

"So, when were you going to tell me Hermione Granger is your mate?" Flora asked, causing Draco to trip over his own feet as he dance with her. Blushing slightly, he composed himself before looking her dead in the eyes, knowing there was no hiding it.

"How did you figure it out?" Draco asked, making sure his voice was barely above a whisper. While he was fine with Flora knowing, he wasn't exactly keen on the other guests finding out before Hermione herself did. He'd rather she heard it from him than a random stranger. Flora waited until Draco finished spinning her before speaking.

"I saw it in your eyes when you saw her this evening. You're in love, true love, and as far as I can gather, a Veela will only have pure love for their mate. What I saw in your eyes, there's no mistaking it. She's your mate Draco. Anyone would be able to see it if they saw the way you look at her." Flora stated.

Looking down, Draco sighed in defeat. She was right, it wouldn't take much mental capacity to figure out he was head over heels for Granger in just one look. He was smitten. She was his destined mate and now he could not stop admiring her.

"How am I meant to tell her? It could ruin everything." Draco muttered.

"It could. I'm not going to lie to you. She may not even feel the same way. But if you're not willing to take the risk and find out, then that's a life that will be far worse. Never knowing how she truly feels will drive you insane. It's better to be rejected than to be unsure for the rest of your life." Flora shrugged, looking up at him with a sad smile. In a way he knew she was right. If he left things and didn't tell her, he'd never know her opinion on the situation, he'd never have the chance for things to actually work between them. Instead he'd spend the rest of his life alone, wanting something he probably could no longer have. She could end up falling in love with someone else, get married and have kids, then he'd be left to merely watch from the sidelines.

"Thanks Flora. I needed to hear that." Draco smiled, letting her go before making his way over to Hermione. She was sitting at the bar with Harry and Ginny, who were clearly talking about something they'd crude done recently, because the uncomfortable look on Hermione's face, not to mention the blushing, was a clear giveaway.

"Sorry folks, but I have to steal Granger away for a dance. She's been sitting down for too long and I want her ankles to be suffering in the morning." Draco smirked, grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her away from the conversation before any of the trio could have protested. Hermione scowled at him, but at the same time he could see the relief in her eyes. She was grateful he'd gotten her away from that discussion.

"You're an incredibly cruel man, Draco Malfoy. Making a girl wear down her ankles is a form of torture I'll have you know." Hermione snarled, shooting him a playful smile.

"Consider it payback for when you punched me in the face." Draco shrugged, spinning her around into the centre of the dance floor. Rolling her eyes, she took his extended hand and the pair began dancing to the music. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Flora climb up onto the stage and whisper something to the lead singer. He winked at her, nodding with a wide smile on his face. Throwing four fingers up to his fellow musicians, the old song stopped playing and was replaced with a beautiful melody.

 **(For the full impact of this next scene, please go onto youtube, type in "Beauty and the Beast Hit House. It should be the first video on there, 1:51 in duration. Listen to that while reading this next part. I had this exact music in mind)**

Pulling Hermione close to him, Draco slowly started dancing with her across the dance floor. His eyes locked with hers as they elegantly glided across the room. God she was beautiful. How could something that beautiful exist, and be destined to be his? He failed to notice that several other couples had stopped dancing and were now watching them. If he had noticed them at any point, he didn't care, the only thing he was really focused on right now was the woman in his arms. The beautiful woman he hoped to spend the rest of his life with. The woman who from that moment on, meant everything to him. Faintly, he could hear the music reaching a much higher and emotional crescendo. It was beautiful, taking that moment, he lifted Hermione up, one arm wrapped around her waist as he rested her against his side. Her dress spiralled around them, surrounding them in an elegant yellow glow to the onlookers. Her arm wrapped around his neck to support herself, but her eyes never left his. His heart was beating frantically in his chest. Was she feeling the same pull to him as he was to her? Was it possible that she could see how much he loved her? Did she know? The sound of a woman's voice harmonising caught his attention, and he knew he recognised it from somewhere. Casting a glance at the stage, he noticed the familiar face of his sister standing by the microphone. Her eyes shut as she sang. After that, the music calmed again and he could hear the gentle sound of his sister's voice accompanied by the lead singer's. Putting Hermione down, he pulled her close, holding her in his arms.

" _Tale as old as time."_ Flora sung, her voice soft and angelic.

" _True as it can be."_ The voice of the lead singer added, his pitch matchings hers.

" _Barely even friends. Then somebody bends, unexpectedly."_ The pair reached a beautiful level of harmony, making the hairs on his arms stand on end. The meaning behind the words struck him even more, and he was going to have to scold Flora for this later, but right now in that moment, he couldn't give two shits. Grabbing Hermione's hand, he spun her away from him and then drew her back close, their faces mere inches from one another, he could feel her heart beating rapidly against his chest.

" _Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme. Beauty and the Beast."_ The music died down in a gradual pace, leaving the sound of Flora's voice in a lingering echo.

It was then Draco was brought back to reality as the sound of clapping echoed across the room. The audience was applauding both Flora as well as himself and Hermione. Smiling slightly, Draco bowed while Hermione curtsied. Lifting her hand, he guided her away from the crowd as the musicians started playing a gentle piece of music.

"I never knew you could dance so well Draco." Hermione smiled, breaking the silence between them. Letting out a nervous chuckle, he let go of her hand and shrugged.

"Being raised in an old fashioned pure blood household, I had to learn many different skills. Dancing being one of them. I can also recite the rules of the dinner table if you'd like?" Draco stated, earning a laugh from the brunette woman beside him.

"I think I'll pass. As much as I'd love to learn about salad forks, my ankles are killing me, and I need to rest." Hermione stated, heading for the stairs.

"You look beautiful." Draco stated, calling out to her before she was too far away. He noticed her stop dead in her tracks, pausing for a moment before turning around. There was a faint blush to her cheeks, her eyes searched his curiously. Was she flustered because of what he'd said, had she enjoyed hearing him say those words?

"Thank you. Pansy lent it to me, said a yellow dress would suit me far much more than the red dress I'd planned on wearing originally." Hermione stated shyly.

"She wasn't wrong. It's perfect, the dress was made for you. You're definitely the Belle of the Ball." Draco smiled, earning a deeper blush from Hermione. She let out a nervous giggle and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Taking a step closer, Draco closed the gap between them and took a deep breath. It was now or never, he wasn't going to get a more perfect moment to tell her, not where she'd be so willing to hear it.

"Hermione...I...I need to tell you something." Draco stated softly.

"Yes?" She inquired, the word let out in a nervous breath, barely above a whisper.

"You see...I wanted to tell you...you're...you're my ma-..." Draco started, but was interrupted when the sound of glass smashing and people screaming filled the room.

 **. . . . . . .**

"Good evening ladies and gentleman. The entertainment has arrived." A pale man with dark hair announced, spreading his arms out dramatically as he bowed before straightening his posture and stepping through the broken window he'd been the cause of. Several of the guests had already fled in fear, others had drawn their wands at the ready. Three cloaked figures followed in from behind the dark haired man, each of them pointing their wands towards the crowd. Stepping in front of Hermione, Draco made sure to protect her in case these men tried anything hostile.

"Dolohov." He heard Hermione whisper from behind him. Casting a look back at her, he couldn't help but notice the anger in her eyes, as well the concern. Dolohov was the Death Eater who had killed Remus Lupin, one of Hermione's teachers and friends.

"Sorry for the sudden intrusion, but my client does not pay me to be polite, he pays me to be quick. I'm looking for a young man named Draco Malfoy. Is he here?" Dolohov asked, his voice loud and echoing throughout the entire ball room. There were several murmurs, but no one spoke up and announced Draco's presence. A sigh of relief left his lips, at least he knew the guests had a sense of loyalty. No one present was a traitor.

"I see, it's going to be like that is it? Well then, I didn't want to do it this way, but you leave me with no choice." Dolohov sighed, then with a quick flick of his wand cast a non verbal magic spell. A rope stretched out from his wand and travelled through the crowd. It wrapped around the ankles of a young woman, yanking her off her feet before dragging her across the floor back to Dolohov. Draco instantly recognised her. Ginny.

Moments later, Harry could be seen running through the crowd, his eyes locked onto Dolohov. Before the raven haired wizard could have even thought to have cast a spell, one of the cloaked figures behind Dolohov aimed their wand at Harry, flicking it swiftly. A non verbal spell sent the Gryffindor flying back and through a window directly behind him. Gasps and cries of shock erupted from the mouths of the guests.

"Harry!" Ginny screamed, desperately trying to get away from Dolohov.

"Until Mr. Malfoy makes himself known, people will continue to get hurt." Dolohov spat. Looking down, Draco sighed and started making his way through the crowd.

"Draco! Don't!" Hermione gasped, trying to grab onto his wrist but he shrugged her off and continued walking towards the party crasher. When Dolohov spotted Draco, a wide smirk spread across his face. He'd won, and he knew it. He looked so smug.

"Hello little Malfoy. It's been quite some time hasn't it? You don't look as scrawny when last we met. Still a blood traitor though. My client has some fun in store for you." Dolohov cackled, the signalled to his followers to grab Draco. As soon as they took a step forward two voices, both female, interrupted them by casting spells.

"Bombarda!" Yelled the first. Draco knew who that was instantly. Hermione.

"Sectumsempra" The second shouted. Flora. How the fuck did she know that curse?!

The two cloaked figures were sent flying back. The first being hit by an explosion, the second landing by the window, now bleeding rapidly. Taking that moment, Draco lunged forwards and wrestled Dolohov to the ground, grabbing his throat tightly.

"Who sent you?!" Draco demanded, struggling to keep Dolohov pinned down.

"Get the fuck off me you little brat!" Dolohov hissed, desperately trying to claw his way out of Draco's grip by repeatedly dragging his nails down the blonde's face. Despite the pain, Draco ignored Dolohov's attacks and kept him down long enough for some Aurors to take over. While they may have been off duty, Ron and Blaise were fine dealing with Death Eater scum in their spare time as well.

"I thought we'd caught all these guys, with Greyback now behind bars." Ron mused.

"Dolohov was marked as deceased. If his records were faked, who knows how many others were. What's the betting we've got a small army of supposedly dead Death Eaters out there." Blaise sighed, causing worry spread down Draco's spine. His mind travelled back to the day Theo and Blaise had told him about Greyback breaking into his Mother's home, attacking her, his sister and Hermione. It was then he recalled listening to Theo repeat the words Greyback had said to them when he'd been caught.

' _Money is a very powerful force, it's amazing how easily it can corrupt the purest of hearts'_

Had he paid someone to change the records of some death eaters? Made it look like most had died in the Battle of Hogwarts when in fact they'd survived with minor injuries? If that was true, someone in the Ministry of Magic was a traitor.

"Ginny!" Harry's voice suddenly called, bringing Draco out of his thoughts. Looking to his right, he noticed Ginny free herself from the rope coming from Dolohov's wand before running over to Harry and embracing him tightly. Besides a few cuts, Potter looked no worse for wear. He cast a nod at Draco before resting his head in the curve of Ginny's neck, running his fingers through her hair. At least they were both fine.

"You haven't seen the last of us Draco, we're coming." Dolohov smirked wildly.

"Shut your mouth you piece of shit." Blaise snarled, pushing Dolohov onto his knees.

"Do you really think you're gonna be safe Veela boy? Do you think no one is going to try and get a piece of the action. You are worth a fortune, dead or alive. I'm not the only one who sees that, neither is my client. They'll find out who your mate is, they'll use her against you. They'll hurt her to hurt you." Dolohov grinned.

"I suggest you watch your tongue. Unless you want to be mauled to pieces, and I won't hold him back this time." The voice of Cassius interrupted, his arms folded across his chest. Dolohov cast the man a glare before turning his attention back to Draco.

"Maul me all you want, you know my words are true. Greyback wants a Veela, he wants a warrior to bring a new world to reality. Unless you hand yourself over willingly, it will just turn out so much more worse than it needs to be. Your friends will die. Your mate, he'll probably rape her in front of you." Dolohov hissed. The thought drove Draco into a made frenzy. He could feel his claws begin to grow, he could hear his heart in his ears.

"Draco. Don't. He's not worth it. He's just trying to piss you off." Ron warned.

"The only reason it's pissing him off is because he knows who she is. And the thought of her being raped by Greyback is more than he can bear. Isn't it Draco?" Dolohov chuckled, his smug and evil smirk growing wider by each passing second.

"Shut up." Draco spat. He could feel his wings ruffling underneath his skin.

"Just imagine it. She's screaming, begging for you to help her. But you can't do anything to save her. She's crying, pleading with you to do something. To make it stop."

"I said shut up."

"What's worse is he probably would come in the bitch, after having forced you to watch that is, and no doubt she'd get pregnant with his kid."

"Stop!"

"Knowing that man was inside her, violated her, and then created a life with her, all while you watched and did nothing. That must be a very nice thought indeed, huh?"

"SHUT UP!" Draco yelled, pulling out his wand before firing the Cruciatus curse at Dolohov. The man fell back, but instead of writhing in pain, he started laughing. The evil, psychotic sound echoed across the room, spreading fear into everyone's heart.

"You just gave her away Draco. I saw you look at her just now. Greyback is going to love this." Dolohov grinned, staring Draco dead in the eyes. Panic spread across Draco's entire body. No. This couldn't be happening. He'd put her in danger. Fuck! It was then he noticed Dolohov grab a wand from the floor and pick it up. Aiming it at Narcissa Malfoy, he smirked wildly before two sinister words left his mouth.

"Avada Kedavra!" He yelled, sending a bright green light towards Narcissa.

"No!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve:**

With sorrow and confidence in our hearts, we show the will to move on

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate. Will he find her in time, or will he be too late?

 **Author's Note:** First of all I want to say I'm very sorry about the late update guys. I've had a few family issues, as well as issues with work, that took quite a serious impact on both my mental and physical health. But I'm back in the writing game and I should be updating every few weeks or so, depending how hectic my schedule becomes. But I do hope that you all enjoy the newest chapter, because this one is really going to have a massive impact on Draco, and once again, I'm very sorry for the wait.

 **Support me o n** **:** "WinterCoffee"

 **Featured Review:** **SilverInTheShadows ~** WTH?! As an author/writer I love you for these amazing twists but I HATE you for this cliffy. This I mean in the best way possible, it's an amazing cliff hanger and one of which keeps us coming back for more, but the suspense is pure- evil. Can't wait to see how this unfolds, so please, update soon/when you can!

 _First of all, thank you so much for this lovely review. It gave me huge bursts of motivation when I finally got back to writing, and it made this chapter a reality. I'm sorry about the wait, but hopefully I'll be back to a more regular basis now._

 **Special Mentions:** Snowflake Dazzle  & WinterWillows ( - and yes I am proud of you! xD)

 **Previously…**

"You just gave her away Draco. I saw you look at her just now. Greyback is going to love this." Dolohov grinned, staring Draco dead in the eyes. Panic spread across Draco's entire body. No. This couldn't be happening. He'd put her in danger. Fuck! It was then he noticed Dolohov grab a wand from the floor and pick it up. Aiming it at Narcissa Malfoy, he smirked wildly before two sinister words left his mouth.

"Avada Kedavra!" He yelled, sending a bright green light towards Narcissa.

"No!"

 **. . . . . . .**

 _There was rubble everywhere, smoke was rising from burning buildings, creating a very thick air around him that made it almost impossible to breathe. Occasionally he'd see a flash of light through the murky grey air, followed by the sound of someone yelling out a curse of some form. Screams of pain and sorrow were all that filled his ears. Suddenly, a flash of white leapt out from the darkness and knocked straight into him. He was thrown back against the wall of a crumbling building, his impact upon it being the final hit it needed to collapse to the ground. In a split second, his wings erupted from beneath the skin of his back and covered his entire body, shielding him from the falling debris. Waiting until he no longer felt anything falling on top of him, he pushed his wings up and jumped out from the hole amongst the rubble he'd been sitting in. When he landed, he was greeted by an unsettling figure._

 _It was a young woman, she looked roughly the same age as him, but her eyes were just pure white, there was no iris, no pupil, just a blank canvas waiting to be filled. Her skin was incredibly pale, her hair almost as white as snow. There were no imperfections upon her skin that he could see besides the slowly healing cuts on her arms and legs._

" _Why are you doing this?!" Draco demanded, his eyes watching the figure for any sign they may attack once again. But she didn't make a single movement towards him._

" _Greyback wants a pure world. We are carrying out our master's bidding." The woman stated, her voice eerily cold and lacking any emotion. It was simply an echo of the words Greyback had stated himself before. Before Draco could respond, a pair of white wings slowly pushed out from the woman's back, he could hear the skin ripping and it send waves of nausea throughout his body._

" _Stop this! You don't have to do what he tells you! Let me help!" Draco pleaded._

" _Master made us, we are bound by our very souls to help him, to do as he commands." The woman hissed, walking towards him. He could see her fingernails slowly extending into long and viscous looking claws. Shit, he was going to have to kill her._

" _Draco!" A voice suddenly yelled, and in the distance he could see her, his mate. She'd come looking for him no doubt, since he hadn't made it to the meeting point._

" _Greyback wants her dead, and he wants you to watch electi." The female stated, before nodding to two figures behind Draco, both males with the same empty eyes as her. They each grabbed one of Draco's wings and broke it clean in half from the bone._

 _Yelling out in pain, he fell to the floor. But before he could attempt to get up, the two males proceeded to hold him down. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't summon enough power to get free from them. A scream of pain filled his ears, and looking up his eyes went wide in horror as he saw the female had grabbed Hermione, one claw protruding through her chest directly where her heart was._

" _NO!" Draco yelled, his heart stopping dead as he saw the life drain from her eyes._

" _Let him up. He won't be able to do anything now." The female instructed to the two males, and after releasing him, they all spread their wings and disappeared into the smoky air. Crawling over to his mate, Draco pulled her into his arms, tears falling down his cheeks. She was cold, her eyes drained off all life and energy. She was gone._

" _No, you can't be dead. Please, wake up. Hermione, please. Don't leave me. Please. Wake up, I'm begging you. Don't go. I need you. I love you, come back to me..." He whispered, his voice trailing off after each helpless plea left his lips._

Jolting up from his bed, Draco took a few seconds to calm himself down. It was just a dream, an awful dream, that was what he had to keep telling himself. But he had some kind of ill feeling spreading throughout his stomach, he couldn't help but think it may have been a warning of some kind, a vision of what was to come in the future.

"Draco?" A soft voice whispered. Looking to his side, he noticed Hermione sitting on the side of his bed. In that moment, many emotions flooded through his entire being, but he chose to let out the most lady like shriek of shock before falling off his bed in a dramatic fashion. Groaning in pain, he slowly sat up and rubbed his now incredibly sore skull. Hermione was by his side in an instant, helping him off the floor and back onto his bed. Why the hell was she there? The last thing he could remember was Dolohov crashing his Mother's ball, and then…

"My Mother! Is she alright?" Draco demanded, looking at Hermione with wide eyes.

"Yes, she's fine. Ron cast a Protego just in time. It protected Narcissa and rebounded, hitting one of Dolohov's goons. One of them retaliated and hit you with a Stupefy. You were sent flying back into the wall, you've been unconscious for two days." Hermione explained. A sigh of relief left his lips, and he let his head fall into his hands.

If something had happened to his Mother, he wouldn't stop until he made Dolohov pay, and then he'd kill Greyback for sending the psycho in the first place. Suddenly, a scream of pure agony entered his ears and his head darted up instantly.

"What the hell was that?" Draco asked, his voice panicked as he stood up from the bed.

"Draco, please, get back into bed! You're not fully recovered. You need to rest!" Hermione pleaded, but he didn't listen. He left the room, before realising he wasn't back at his own home. He was in his Mother's Manor. The screams continued to come from a room just down the hall. Flora's room. No. Please No. Breaking into a sprint, Draco ran down the corridor and burst through his sister's bedroom doors.

It was there he could see her strapped down on her own bed, sweat covering her entire body and a small group of Healers examining her. The girl's eyes were squeezed shut in pain as she let out yet another scream of agony. Upon hearing the doors burst open, the Healers glanced over in his direction, as well as his Mother. Standing up, she rushed over to him and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Oh thank Merlin, I'm so glad you're alright." Narcissa whispered, placing her hands on his cheeks before smiling sadly at him.

"What's happening to her Mother?" He asked, but he had a feeling he already knew the answer to that question. Looking back at Flora, Narcissa let out a sad sigh. Tears started falling down her cheeks and she pulled away from Draco before sitting down.

"The second phase of becoming a Veela: it includes a day where the person undergoes a day of excruciating pain due to the fact their bones are now adjusting to support them." Hermione stated from behind him. He glanced back at her, shock in his eyes.

"No." He muttered, shaking his head. This couldn't be happening, not to her, not now. If Greyback caught wind of this, he wouldn't stop until he found her.

"Draco..." Hermione started, but was interrupted by Flora's scream of pain.

"KILL ME!" The young blonde screamed, tears falling rapidly down her cheeks. Her words caused Narcissa to stand up and run out of the room before she completely broke. She couldn't bare to see her daughter like that, begging for death. Looking down, Draco turned around and stormed away from the bedroom as well. This wasn't happening, surely it must be some form of nightmare, or a curse that was tormenting him. It was one thing placing this fate upon him, but cursing his sister with it too?

"Draco! Wait!" Hermione called after him, trying her best to keep up with him, but he was faster than she remembered, even when he was just walking.

When he reached the landing, he didn't bother walking down the stairs, Draco simply threw himself over the banister and landed on the floor of the foyer without a scratch.

"Draco! Are you crazy?!" Hermione yelled, rushing down the stairs after him.

"Leave me alone Granger." He spat, before pushing the front doors open and storming outside. She stilled for a moment, noticing the pure venom that filled his voice. He hadn't spoken to her like that in years, and it hurt her. But she pushed her own feelings aside and continued to follow him. He was hurting, and running off on his own would do more harm than good. He could get hurt, or worse, Greyback could find him.

"Draco, please, just come back inside. It's not safe for you out there!" Hermione pleaded, grabbing his wrist in an attempt to slow him down. But the sudden contact caused him to spin around and grab her by the throat.

His eyes of anger met with hers, full of fear and shock, and just like that all the anger in the world left his body and was replaced with unimaginable guilt. Letting her go, he watched as she clutched her throat and looked up at him with eyes full of disbelief. What had he done? He'd grabbed her, in a violent manner, and had made her afraid.

"Hermione...I'm sorry..." He started, reaching out for her only to watch as she recoiled.

"Don't. Don't touch me." She whispered, tears forming in her eyes. His heart was breaking. He hadn't even told her she was his mate, and he'd lost her already. Looking down, he turned around and continued to walk away from her. He was a monster.

 **. . . . . . .**

Ron slumped down in the chair with a loud sigh, bringing Harry's attention up from his coffee. As the situation went so far, every Auror who had attended Mrs. Malfoy's Fundraiser Ball had been called in for questioning so they could confirm the events that happened concerning Dolohov. Harry, being the head of his department, had been called in first. Ron had been called in shortly afterwards and from the looks of his red haired friend, he was glad to be out of that interrogation room.

"How did it go?" Harry asked, taking a quick sip of his coffee.

"Awful. I don't know who he is, but that guy asking the questions really gets on my nerves. He's all pompous and arrogant, doesn't give a shit that people almost died. All he wants to know is what mistakes we made." Ron sighed, looking down at the table.

"Hey, you did what anyone else would have done. If you hadn't of cast that Protego, Narcissa would have been killed. And if you'd pushed her out of the way someone else would have died in her place." Harry stated, trying to reassure his best friend.

"Yeah, but because of me the curse rebounded and hit one of Dolohov's goons, allowing him and the other two to get away in the commotion. Because of me, we lost our only lead to Greyback." Ron muttered, keeping his gaze on the table, refusing to look up.

Sighing softly, Harry leaned back in his seat and watched as more people entered, then left the cafe. He had no idea what to say to Ron, he could only hope that in time the man would feel better and realise that the choice he'd made had been the right one.

"Hold on a sec, isn't that Edgecombe?" Ron suddenly inquired, bringing Harry's attention over to his friend, then followed where his gaze was resting. Sure enough, on the opposite side of the room, sat Marietta Edgecombe. She wasn't alone either, there was a man with her, but his back was to them so they couldn't see his face.

"Wonder what she's doing here." Harry muttered.

"Knowing her, she's probably up to something. I bet she's trying to dig up leads about Malfoy. She hasn't left the poor sod alone since she found out he was a Veela. That article she wrote, it's been nothing but a burden for him since day one." Ron snarled.

"Actually, that's her Father and she's just meeting him for afternoon coffee, but it's nice to see you both have Draco's back." A voice stated from behind them, making the pair jump out of their skin before turning around to see the smug face of Pansy Parkinson.

"Merlin's beard Parkinson, don't do that again!" Ron wheezed.

"What are you doing here Pansy?" Harry inquired. He was a regular at this place, and he'd never once seen Parkinson go there before, not even for a single cup of coffee.

"I'm following Edgecombe. She said something to me the other day that got me worried. She's planning something that includes Draco, and I don't like that one bit. So, I've been trying to find out what she's up to." Pansy explained.

"So you're stalking her?" Ron asked, raising a brow at the black haired woman.

"I'm not stalking, I'm investigating. There's a difference. Ask her, she'd know. That's the excuse she uses after all. Anyway Weasley, you're not wrong, she definitely is up to something and I want to find out what that is before it's too late. Fancy lending a hand?" Pansy offered, smiling to the pair as she sat down at their table.

"And risk getting caught? Do you know what the bitch would do if she caught two Aurors stalking her without permission from the head office? She'd tear us into tiny little pieces and ruin our careers." Ron scoffed.

"Well, you do have the head of the Aurors sitting opposite you Weasley, and I think he'd find it very interesting to know that Edgecombe has illegally acquired information for many years now. This includes from one Cho Chang, who told Edgecombe about Draco being a Veela in confidence, but Edgecombe published that illegal information without consent. She, in my personal opinion, needs to be monitored should she attempt that again." Pansy shrugged, leaning back in her seat while examining her nails.

"You sure know how to get what you want, don't you?" Harry scoffed with a smile.

"I'm a Slytherin, what do you expect?" Parkinson smirked.

 **. . . . . . .**

Hermione ran a hand through her hair as she got back to Draco's home. After he'd run off, she'd immediately attempted to find him, but no matter where she'd gone there had been no sign of him, no trace whatsoever. So, her finally attempt had been to see if he'd simply gone back home. But from what Mitzi had told her, Draco had not been there since the morning of his Mother's ball. Wherever he'd gone, it was obvious he did not want to be found, but that was a dangerous mind set to be in. Someone could seriously hurt him. Greyback could be out there at that very moment, waiting for his chance. She just hoped that Draco was with someone at least, a friend or family member. At least then he'd be safe from anyone who posed a threat.

"Miss Hermione, there is a young lady at the door wishing to speak to you. She says her name is Lavender Brown. Should Mitzi let her in?" Mitzi inquired.

Lavender Brown? What was she doing here? She knew that Ron had recently started dating her again after they'd met during the opening of Romilda Vane's club.

"Um, yeah sure. Thank you Mitzi." Hermione smiled, watching as the little house elf ran off back in the direction of the front door. A few moments later, she returned accompanied by Lavender Brown, who offered a polite but nervous smile to Hermione.

"Thanks for seeing me. I told Ron I was hoping to talk to you, and asked where I might find you. He said you were staying with Draco, I hope you don't mind my dropping by like this." Lavender mumbled nervously, not making direct eye contact.

"Mitzi will make tea!" Mitzi suddenly announced before rushing off to the kitchen.

Noticing the raised brown on Lavender's face, Hermione blushed slightly.

"She's Draco's house elf. I wasn't happy to begin with to find out he had one following his ever order, but he told me that apparently she refuses to leave. He even freed her years ago but she still stays. You said you wanted to talk? Have a seat." Hermione offered, gesturing to the sofa opposite her. Smiling softly, Lavender thanked her and sat down. Before either had the chance to speak again, Mitzi reappeared with a small tray and placed it on the coffee table. She then began to serve the tea to them.

"Thank you Mitzi, that's very kind of you but we can do that. Why don't you go relax?" Hermione suggested. The house elf paused for a moment, but then nodded.

"Mitzi will go make dinner for tonight! That is relaxing!" She smiled, then darted off before Hermione could protest otherwise.

"I see what you mean now." Lavender giggled.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Hermione asked as she finished pouring the tea.

"I just wanted to clear the air so to speak. I know you and Ron dated for a short amount of time after the war, but you ended things because you both thought you were better as friends. I just wanted to ask if you still...love him?" Lavender inquired.

Hermione paused for a brief moment, her eyes wide in shock. So that was this was about? Lavender just wanted some reassurance that she no longer felt anything for Ron? Smiling softly, Hermione brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well, Ron was the first guy I ever loved, and that's not really going to be something I'll ever forget. And I do love him, but not in a romantic sense, he's like family to me now. Like a brother almost. I think we only started dating because everyone thought we'd end up together. But it became clear to us that we weren't meant to be. So, to answer your question, I do love him, but not in a sense where you need to worry. I only think of him as family, and nothing more than that." Hermione stated. She could see the relief flood across Lavender's face almost as soon as she'd finished her statement.

"Thanks, I just, I know how close you two were growing up and to be honest, I felt a little intimidated by that. You're both part of the Golden Trio after all, you have a bond with him I'll never be able to match. I love Ron, I have done for a very long time and I was distraught when he ended things with me. But I think it was for the best, we were kids after all, and considering there was a war about to hit us things probably wouldn't have lasted anyway. But I'm glad I've been given this second chance. Because now we've grown up and matured a bit, I think things will work this time." Lavender smiled.

"How have you been, since the war I mean?" Hermione asked, knowing that the last time she'd seen Lavender the poor girl had been the victim of Greyback's attack.

"It's been getting easier. I'm still getting used to the lupine tendencies. I'm just thankful that my family has been understanding. I know others would not have been so understanding, there have even been stories of Witches and Wizards who have been disowned by their families because of their lupine tendencies. It means a lot to me, just knowing I have the support should I need it." Lavender stated, smiling slightly.

Hermione couldn't help but notice the faded scars on her neck from where Greyback had savaged her throat. If she, Harry and Ron hadn't run into Lavender at that moment, who knows what would have happened to her. Her injuries would have probably been a lot worse, and it was likely she would have died from them.

"Miss Hermione! We must go!" Mitzi's panicked voice suddenly exclaimed. Glancing at the entrance to the living room, Hermione noticed a fearful look spread across Mitzi's face. Something was wrong, seriously wrong. Getting up, Hermione grabbed Lavender's hand and started heading up the stairs.

"What's happening? Where are we going?" Lavender asked, the concern in her voice clear as a bell. In truth, Hermione had no idea what was going on, but she was not going to question Mitzi's judgement. In the small time she'd known the elf, she'd picked up on her ability to tell when danger was present, or if something bad was going to happen. It was just the little things at first, like knowing when someone had hurt themselves before it had even happened. She'd warned Hermione several times to be careful with her letter opener, and each time she'd still got a cut from it. Then it had progressed to the slightly larger things, like trips and falls. The elf was never wrong.

Before Hermione could have even attempted to try and explain the situation to Lavender, the wall at the end of the corridor suddenly exploded into a million pieces before them, sending chunks of brick their way. Casting a quick Protego, Hermione shielded the three from the blast, saving them from any unnecessary injuries.

"I should have known it would be you." A dark and cruel voice chuckled. No. He'd been taken in my the Aurors, they'd locked him up in a cell where no one could find him. How had he gotten out? There was no way he'd be able to escape from there, not without help. Had someone in the Ministry really betrayed them?

"Mitzi, take Lavender and get her out of here. Find Harry and Ron, let them know what's going on. I'll hold him back for as long as I can." Hermione instructed.

"But Miss Hermione…!" Mitzi protested.

"That wasn't a request Mitzi, go now!" Hermione yelled, hating the fact she'd taken such a harsh tone towards the elf, but it had to be done. She couldn't risk their lives.

"I remember you. You were that little thing that fell from the balcony. Your blood was delicious." Greyback's voice cackled, and Hermione instantly noticed Lavender tense up. Fear was pulsing through her eyes, and her hands were shaking. But in almost the blink of an eye, that fear was gone and replaced by pure hatred. Before the girl could have done anything stupid, Hermione grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards.

"Go! Get out of here now! Ron would never forgive me if I let something happen to you." Hermione snapped. She noticed the conflict in Lavender's eyes, but in a few seconds common sense took over and she realised what Hermione had said was right. She would have no chance against Greyback, he was incredibly powerful, and challenging him on pure rage would not have a good outcome. But it was then Lavender also realised that Hermione was demanding to be left to fight him alone.

"I'm not leaving you." Lavender stated, pulling out her wand and standing besides Hermione with a look of determination and conviction spreading across her form.

"Yes you are, I'm not taking the risk of letting you stay." Hermione scoffed.

"You don't dictate what I do and do not do. I'm staying here, because while you may be a powerful witch, two sets of eyes are better than one. I'm not letting you fight him alone. You saved my life all those years ago, it's my time to return the favour." Lavender stated, offering Hermione a smile before turning her attention back to Greyback. A brief feeling of shock spread through Hermione's body, but she pushed it back and focused her mind on the moment at hand. Greyback was tough, but together they might stand a chance at rendering him immobile until Harry and Ron came.

"I take it from the confusion in your eyes, you have no idea about who you are to him." Greyback chuckled as he started walking towards them.

"Everte Statim!" Lavender exclaimed, a flash of light erupting from her wand and Greyback was suddenly thrown back. He landed on the ground with a loud thud, but moments later laughter escaped his lips in twisted and sinister forms.

"Oh it's so precious, he's known for a while now, yet he still hasn't told you. He could be trying to protect you, or he could just be too much of a coward to tell you the truth." Greyback mused, getting back up on his feet as if Lavender's attack had done nothing.

"I'm not fooling for your mind games Greyback, now you can either surrender peacefully or I will be forced to hurt you." Hermione hissed. An evil smirk spread across Greyback's face, and he spread his arms out widely, challenging the brunette.

"Hit me with your best shot." He grinned.

 **. . . . . . .**

Draco pushed through the crowd of Aurors, ignoring their orders for him to stay back. He noticed several of them at the front, casting the Aguamenti charm in an attempt to kill the flames. It was then he noticed Ron running out of the building, carrying an unconscious woman in his arms. Lavender Brown. What had she been doing in his house? Looking around, he noticed Theo and Blaise restraining a struggling figure on the grass. From the looks of it, that person was responsible for setting his house on fire, and had obviously attempted to escape from the scene but their attempts had proven futile. Harry had just rushed past him and was going to Ron's aid, guiding him and Lavender over to the nearest healer. It was then Draco noticed Hermione sitting down on the ground, tears falling down her cheeks.

Instantly an overwhelming sense of guilt and dread filled his being. He couldn't help but feel broken, knowing that he'd hurt her. Slowly he started making his way over to her, noticing the slight cuts on her cheeks that were being tended to by a healer. But as he got closer, he noticed she was holding something in her arms, something covered by a white sheet. Underneath that sheet, he could vaguely make out the form of a small body. His heart stopped in his chest when he noticed a small arm dangling free from the sheet's cover. It was then Hermione looked up, and in that moment she broke.

"Draco, I'm so sorry...I tried to save her.." She sobbed. Kneeling down, Draco slowly pulled back the sheet, then stilled when he was met with Mitzi's dead form.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen:**

She was a passing flame, and not a permanent thing

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate. Will he find her in time, or will he be too late?

 **Author's Note:** Thank you all for the lovely reviews in the previous chapter, believe me it has really been motivating me to get the next ones written. After getting the third review on that chapter, I was already about half way through this one. Speaking of this chapter, it's the moment you've all been waiting for! Two big reveals in this one!

 **Featured Review:** **WinterWillows ~** Oh no, not Mitzi! I'm heartbroken, she was adorable *bursts into tears* Another brilliant chapter, I really hope Draco can man the fuck up and speak to Hermione properly about her being his mate. And if that conversation leads to some incredibly hot sex then who am I to argue? Love your writing and can't wait for the next update. Hope you're feeling better, sounds like you need to be kind to yourself, lots of pampering! Xx

 _You have no idea how much your reviews make me smile. To be fair, I almost shed a tear when I killed off Mitzi, but I must be cruel and unloving to these characters! And you're in for a surprise for this chapter, just warning you in advance, I'll be leaving it on a cliffhanger, so sorry! I am feeling much better now, thanks for the well wishes!_

 **Special Mentions:** Pyroleigh, Namie Amalia  & Snowflake Dazzle

 **Previously…**

But as he got closer, he noticed she was holding something in her arms, something covered by a white sheet. Underneath the sheet, he could vaguely make out the form of a small body. His heart stopped in his chest when he noticed a small arm dangling free from the sheet's cover. It was then Hermione looked up, and in that moment she broke.

"Draco, I'm so sorry...I tried to save her.." She sobbed. Kneeling down, Draco slowly pulled back the sheet, then stilled when he was met with Mitzi's dead form.

 **. . . . . . .**

Taking a deep breath, Harry composed himself and slowly walked over to Draco, who seemed to have fallen asleep next to the grave of his house elf. He knew exactly how the man felt, when Dobby died Harry had felt an overwhelming feeling of loss and guilt. He'd known the elf since he was a young boy, and it had been the same for Draco and Mitzi. From what Hermione had told him, the little elf had been there before Draco could remember, and she'd always been there to protect him. Hermione herself was also appearing to feel guilty about what had happened. Mitzi had been attempting to protect her and Lavender from Greyback's attacks, but paid for it with her life.

Kneeling down, Harry gently shook Draco's shoulder in an attempt to wake him from his slumber. In a matter of moments, Draco's eyes fluttered open and he glanced around briefly before his gaze settled on Harry, confusion filling his eyes.

"What are you doing here Potter?" Draco asked, pushing himself up into a seated position. He didn't sound irritated by Harry's presence, in fact, he couldn't detect a single form of emotion in Draco's voice at all. He appeared be going through the state of loss where you just feel completely numb, not knowing what to feel next.

"Hermione sent me. She's worried about you." Harry stated, and he'd also come for his own reasons. He was worried about Draco as well, but he had something important to tell him. While it may not have been the best time, it was the only chance he'd have.

"I don't see why she's worried about me, not after what I've done." Draco scoffed, standing up before he started heading back to his completely resorted mansion.

"Draco. What did you do?" Harry asked, concern filling the entirety of his voice.

"Of all the people that it could have been, it had to be her. And even then, I couldn't tell her, I was worried that her knowing would just put her in even more danger. She was just trying to help me, but I grabbed her by the throat and made her afraid of me. But Dolohov figured it out, and he told Greyback. She's a sitting target, and I can't even protect her because she won't let me near her. I truly am a monster." Draco sighed, stopping dead in his tracks as he squeezed his eyes shut. It was all getting too much.

It wouldn't be long until he broke from all of this, first it was discovering his Veela genes, then it was Edgecombe's article, the attack at his Mother's ball, then Flora's genes activating. He'd attacked his mate, and now Mitzi was gone. Everyone he loved was having their lives torn apart at the seams, and it was all because of him. Letting out a strangled sob, he fell to his knees and cupped his face in his hands. Harry on the other hand, was too shocked to move. If what Draco had said was true, Hermione was his mate and now Greyback was aware of that fact. Originally, he was fuming at the news. Hermione was his best friend, she didn't need this shit on her plate. But seeing Draco break, it brought him back to reality and made him realise that Draco hadn't asked for this at all. He was certain that if it could be stopped, Draco wouldn't hesitating in turning back the clocks to make sure Hermione remained safe. Letting out sigh, Harry walked towards Draco and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You have to tell her." He stated, looking down at the blonde sternly.

"I know. But I can't. I've tried, I was going to tell her at the ball, but Dolohov put a pin in that one. I was going to tell her when I woke up, but Flora's screams stopped me. Maybe she's not meant to know, and maybe that's a good thing. She can have a normal life, away from the danger that will constantly put her in." Draco muttered.

He expected Harry to respond with something along the lines of: 'yeah, she'd be better off as far away from you as possible', or 'you may be right on this one'. What he was not expecting however, was a swift and strong punch landing on his right cheek. Exclaiming in pain, Draco clutched his cheek and shot Harry a look of pure venom.

"What the hell was that for!?" He yelled, anger pulsing through his being.

"You seriously need to snap out of it Draco. Enough of the pity party. Yes, you've had some shit dealt your way, and yes you've lost people. Believe me, I know more than most how hard that is, but life goes on. We can't dwell on the past, we have to move forwards. Now do you really think not telling Hermione is going to work out for you? Greyback knows. I seriously doubt if you don't tell her, he's going to keep his distance and respect your wishes. He will kill her, Draco, unless you tell her and give her a fighting chance." Harry stated, folding his arms across his chest. The brutal honesty of Harry's words shocked Draco to his core, and it was the slap across the face he needed. What was he thinking? He was putting her in even more danger the longer he waited to tell her. She needed to know, and it had to come from him.

Standing up, he placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and gave him a thankful nod.

"Thanks for that Potter, I needed it." Draco smiled. Harry gave a quick smile in return.

"Anytime. Sorry about the whole punching you in the face thing." Harry chuckled.

"Don't worry about it, I know you'd be fine if I'd done the same had the roles been reversed." Draco shrugged, then removed his hand from Harry's shoulder and headed back to his mansion. Hermione needed to know, and she needed to know now.

"Draco wait, there's another reason I came here today. It wasn't just to check on you. Pansy approached me and Ron the other day, claiming that Edgecombe was up to something, and she was right. It's bad, and you need to know now." Harry stated.

"What has that little bitch done now?" Draco asked, irritation filling his voice.

"We should really go inside, you're going to need to sit down." Harry muttered.

 **. . . . . . .**

Lucius looked up as Narcissa slowly walked into the cold stone room, casting him a sad smile before sitting down at the table opposite him. He reached out over the table and held onto her soft hands, gripping them slightly. Sweet Merlin he'd missed her.

"My love, you grow more beautiful as each day passes." He smiled.

"I've missed you so much, my darling." She whispered, squeezing his hands softly.

"Tell me, how are the children?" Lucius asked. The expression the formed across his wife's face let him know that nothing good had happened to them recently.

"Fenrir has been hunting Draco down relentlessly. I fear for the his safety each moment he's out of my sight. Recently there was an attack at his home, Miss Granger and Miss Brown were both inside at the time, and suffered minor injuries. Mitzi was killed in the attack, she sacrificed herself when Fenrir sent the killing curse at Lavender. Flora isn't doing much better, it appears her genes are active as well. She was begging for us to kill her Lucius, she was going through so much pain she wanted us to end her suffering right there and then. I couldn't bear to see her that way. I had to leave." Narcissa sobbed. Ignoring protocol, Lucius stood up from his chair and moved beside his wife, wrapping his arms around her and kissed her head softly.

Closing his eyes, he tried to remain as strong as he could for her, but on the inside his heart was shattering into tiny pieces. They had been through so much, it was all his fault, and it was only going to get worse. All of this, it was all because of him. He had to right his wrongs, make sure that no more harm fell onto his family.

"Narcissa, I need to tell you something." Lucius muttered, gently stroking her cheek.

"What is it?" She inquired, looking up at him with damn and saddened eyes.

"I've done something terrible, and I know you will never forgive me, but at the time I believed it was what was best for my family. I now know I was wrong, and I need to fix my mistakes. But I will need your help my darling, and I know I have no right to ask that of you, but please, help me." Lucius whispered, staring directly into her eyes.

"Your heart is always in the right place Lucius, sometimes you just go the wrong way about it. But I always learn to forgive you in time, and I will always be here to help you. Now tell me, what have you done, and what do you need me to do?" Narcissa asked.

"I made a deal with Marietta Edgecombe. She threatened to expose Flora's possible Veela gene to the Wizarding community. I didn't want her to go through the same thing that Draco did. I just wanted to protect her, so I signed a document arranging a marriage between Marietta and Draco. If the document is not destroyed, he will have to marry her. And that will be before I can leave this place to testify it was under threat. She's boasted to me about how even if I reveal her plan, she'll still have a right to the Malfoy line. She's found a way to mimic his mate's scent, she's going to create a love potion that will make his Veela gene believe she is his mate for a short while, and turning that time she will attempt to conceive a child with him. She knows that once a woman is pregnant, she cannot be disowned from the Malfoy line. It's our heritage." Lucius explained, and the pure shock that covered his wife's face sent an overwhelming feeling of guilt coursing through his body.

Looking down, Narcissa let out a soft sigh before she looked back up at her husband.

"You were trying to protect our daughter, I can't be mad at you for that. And you've warned me in advance. I promise, I will stop that woman before she can even attempt to get anywhere near to our son." Narcissa stated, then stood up and kissed Lucius in a soft but passionate manner, then left the room without another word. Sitting down, Lucius felt his shoulders sag after the tension left them. But he still couldn't help but worry. What if Narcissa couldn't stop Edgecombe, it would all be his fault.

"Please forgive me Draco." He muttered to himself before heading back to his cell.

 **. . . . . . .**

Hermione watched from the doorway as Draco threw a vase at the wall. He looked furious. Whatever Harry had said to him, it had really pissed him off.

"That stupid, vile, low life! I'm going to kill her!" Draco yelled, picking up another vase.

"No you're not. You're going to sit down, take a death breath and calm the fuck down." Harry stated, a cool tone of authority following his statement. Practically growling, Draco glared at Harry before sitting down on the sofa. It was then he noticed her, and she couldn't help but look down. She was very conflicted about her feelings towards him. On the one hand, she was worried. He'd just lost a treasured friend and she wanted to be able to comfort him. But she was still hurt, he'd grabbed her by the throat and looked at her with pure hatred. The trust between them was slightly broken.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked, looking over at Harry rather than Draco.

"Marietta Edgecombe forced Draco's Father to sign a contract allowing an arranged marriage between herself and Draco. Pansy and I overheard her discussing it with her Father today. She said the documents had been signed and she just has to wait a few more days for everything to be legalised." Harry explained. At that moment, Hermione's jaw dropped. She'd always known Edgecombe was twisted, but that was just sick! Anger started spreading through her veins as she clenched her fists.

"She's going to pay for everything she's done." Hermione snarled.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, not you too. Just sit down and take a breather. We need to think rationally about our next step before we take any action." Harry groaned.

"In a few days, I could be forced to marry the world's biggest bitch Potter, how do you expect me to think rationally right now? The very thought of her being my wife makes me want to throw up." Draco shuddered.  
"That may be the Veela gene kicking in. The thought of actually being with anyone else but your mate could be causing a negative chemical reaction." Hermione mused.

Nodding slightly, Draco couldn't help but agree with her on that one. He'd noticed just the simple things recently, like seeing a woman walking down the street didn't get the same reaction from him any more. Normally he'd appreciate the legs or the bust, but now he shuddered at the thought of intimacy with anyone else but his mate. Glancing over at her, he hated the fact she wouldn't look at him directly. He'd really hurt her.

"What I want to know is why is she so obsessed with you anyway? I mean, as far as looks go you're not bad I guess, but that wouldn't explain it completely." Harry shrugged. Rolling his eyes, Draco leaned back in his seat, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was not something he wanted to discuss in front of Hermione, but hell, it was going to come out sooner or later, so why not now?

"Well, you know I had a reputation in school..." Draco started.

"Of fucking anything with a vagina? Yes, go on." Harry interrupted, scowling.

"Blunt, but to the point as always Potter. But yes, to put it in a manner more appropriate for the lady present, I did have quite a few sexual encounters. One of them was Edgecombe. Now, I thought of it as a one night stand, to be honest she wasn't that good of a shag anyway. I just needed a release and she was practically stripping in front of me in the library so I thought why the hell not. But, she didn't see it as a one night stand. She was following me around like a little puppy, she was sending me notes in class about how much she loved me and that we were going to be together forever. Needless to say I got that idea out of her head quite quickly." Draco explained.

"Oh Merlin, what did you do?" Harry groaned as dread quickly filled him.

"Well, I told her to meet me in the library so we could hook up. When she got there, I was half way through fucking Romilda Vane. Needless to say, she started crying and ran off. She didn't speak to me after that, so I assumed she got the message." Draco shrugged. Looking back on it now, even he had to admit, that was a pretty shitty thing to do. He could have just let her down gently, instead he had to be a complete ass hole.

"You probably broke the poor girl's heart Draco, and for all these years I can bet you that she's still been in love with you and has been planning a foolproof way to get what she wants, the future with you that you denied her of having in the first place." Hermione stated, earning a very apologetic and look of shame from Draco.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Harry muttered.

"You don't need to tell me that. But what am I going to do now? There's no way I can approach her and demand the document, because she'll spin it into some wild story about me being a dangerous creature and the press will go nuts." Draco groaned.

"We need to figure something out before that document gets legalised. The very act of marrying someone other than his mate could send him to an early grave. It's an important document, she's probably going to have it on her person at all times. There's no way she'd risk having it taken or losing it. We'd need to find a way to lower her defenses, catch her when she's not expecting it." Harry stated.

"Well there's only one way to do that. What does every reporter love?" Draco scoffed.

"A scandal." Hermione smirked.

 **. . . . . . .**

"I must say, I am surprised you came to me of all people. I thought you had a very negative opinion of me." Marietta smirked, stirring her tea so slowly Hermione could hear the spoon scraping against the china cup. It set her teeth on edge.

"Well, I figured if I told you in person, you wouldn't fabricate some random bullshit from rumours, you'd get the truth straight from my mouth." Hermione shrugged.

"You should really use that method more often. You and your friends wouldn't look half as bad in the articles these days if you actually gave us any real gossip to go on." Marietta scoffed, placing down the spoon on her saucer before taking a sip of the tea. The statement itself made Hermione want to leap across the table and strangle her. But she had to contain her emotions and remain composed. Still, the fake story she was going to give Edgecombe was going to give her a lot of satisfaction in the end.

The whole plan had been Harry's idea. He'd told Draco to stay at home, and let them figure it out. Once they'd left, Harry had explained his entire plan to her. She wasn't happy about it originally, but she knew that while it was embarrassing it would definitely lower Edgecombe's guard, and play on her emotions as well. If she was running on pure hatred then she wouldn't notice anyone sneaking up behind her to search through her handbag. Letting out a soft sigh, Hermione put on her acting face and leaned closer to Edgecombe, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"The thing is, I know it's going to come out sooner or later. I'd rather it be on my own terms, rather than someone stumbling onto it by accident. That would just make things ten times worse. And I haven't been careful recently in all honesty, there have been way too many close calls." Hermione whispered. She noticed Edgecombe's brows raise, mostly from curiosity but there was also a hint of amusement there too. She leaned in closer to Hermione, obviously using the technique of mimicking her body language to make her feel more comfortable. And Hermione imaged that it worked, with people who were actually trying to get real information off their chests. She on the other hand was faking, lying until she was blue in the face. She just hoped it was worth it.

"Don't tell me you've been sleeping with Ronald Weasley behind his new lover's back?" Marietta whispered, though it was clear to tell that the suspense was killing her.

"Not Ron." Hermione muttered, looking over to the side on purpose to fake shame.

"Oh sweet Merlin, it's not Harry is it?!" Marietta gasped, covering her mouth.

"No! I would never do that, Harry is more like a brother to me. Look, if I tell you, you have to promise to handle it delicately. None of your shaming bullshit." Hermione instructed, staring directly into Edgecombe's eyes, who nodded quickly.

"Of course, I promise, I'll handle this story with the utmost respect." She stated.

What Hermione wanted to say was 'bullshit'. But instead, she kept herself conformed and closed her eyes, faking a deep breath to summon her confidence before revealing all. When she resumed her close proximity to Edgecombe, she spoke in a hushed tone.

"I've been...I've been secretly dating Draco Malfoy." Hermione whispered. In that moment, Marietta's keen and curious expression faded to a clean slate. Hermione couldn't tell what the woman was thinking right now, but if she had to guess, she would assume the woman was tempted to use the killing curse on her right now.

"But Draco is a Veela. He won't have any romantic interactions with anyone but his mate." Marietta pointed out, her voice a soft and emotionless noise in the room.

"Well, it started out as just casual sex. We worked together, talked together and then when it was revealed we both had been sexually frustrated for a while, we decided we could solve that problem together. That continued for a few weeks, but then I started developing feelings for him, and vice versa. We started dating, keeping it a secret of course. We work together after all, the Ministry doesn't really approve of that kind of thing. It's only on rare occasions they allow it. But when Draco discovered he was a Veela, he came to tell me first. It was then it hit him like a ton of bricks, when he smelt my scent, he knew I was his mate. I guess we were just destined to be." Hermione shrugged. Oh Merlin she was embarrassed. Pretending she was sleeping with Draco was bad enough, but to actually claim she was his mate, it was enough to make her blush. If she was able to freeze those next few seconds and rewind it, she could confirm her suspicions of Edgecombe's eye twitch slightly from her rage induced mental state.

There was a short pause between them before Edgecombe picked up her tea and had another sip of the beverage. She then looked at Hermione with a clearly fake smile.

"Well, being the writer that announces who Draco's mate is will definitely boost my career, without a shadow of a doubt. But let me ask you this, are you one hundred per cent sure that you are Draco's mate? Because there have been occasions where a Veela has mistaken their mate's scent for that of a similar one." Marietta pointed out.

"I know, I even told him about that myself. I wanted him to be sure, and we both realised that he wouldn't be able to mark me if I wasn't his mate. The Veela wouldn't allow it." Hermione stated, then pulled down her collar to reveal what looked like a pair of puncture wounds, now healed in the form of two silver scars. It almost looked as if she'd been bitten by a vampire, but in truth it was just a charm, one she'd learned during her school years one Halloween. It made her costume look more realistic, obviously hers had been open and dripping with a fake blood, but it hadn't taken her long how to figure out how to alter the charm and make it look like they were healed.

When she leaned in closer, Hermione noticed the clear panic in Edgecombe's eyes. She'd fallen for it, she believed the lie that she was being fed. What she wasn't expecting however, was for Marietta to then proceed to grab her hair and yank it furiously, screaming at her and calling her every foul name under the sun. Well, Harry had been right, hell did hath no fury like a woman scorned. She instantly tried to pull away from Edgecombe's grasp, she even resorted to clawing at the blonde's face to try and inflict some form of injury that would make her let go of her hair.  
"You bitch! You're lying! I'm going to kill you!" Edgecombe screamed, yanking on Hermione's hair even harder, earning a cry of pain from Hermione as she furiously attempted to get free, however her attempts were futile.  
"Let go of me!" Hermione yelled, squeezing her eyes shut in pain. She then heard Marietta gasp in a mixture of shock and confusion, her hands freeing Hermione's hair. Opening her eyes, Hermione saw Draco holding the struggling blonde in a neck hold.

"You're wrong, she is my mate." He stated, watching as Hermione's jaw dropped.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen:**

I don't need your empty promises, or your stupid alibis

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate. Will he find her in time, or will he be too late?

 **Author's Note:** First off, I just want to say this: thank you so much to everyone who has supported this story. I recently looked at the stats and we've almost reached 46,000 views! That's incredible, I never thought it would receive that much attention, and all the reviews have been so kind. You've all helped me get back on the horse and get my motivation to write back again. Thank you all! It means so much to me.

 **Featured Review:** **ArielNicholas913 ~** OH MY GOD! YESSSSSS! I JUST GOT AAAAALLLLL KINDS OF EXCITED! FUCK THAT BITCH! I CANT STAND HER! SO HAPPY THAT DRACO WAS THERE AND I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL WE FIND OUT HERMIONE'S REACTION TO THE NEWS AND FIGURES OUT IT IS NOT JUST A CLEVER LIE! That was in all caps because I felt as if I was a small child and got so excited my voice raised hah!

 _Well that was a review that caught my attention! The caps had something to do with it, but also just how excited you seem about the story. It means so much to me that you're that involved and keen to see what happens next. Well, I hope I don't disappoint!_

 **Special Mentions:** Namie Amalia  & HarryPGinnyW4eva

 **Previously…**

"You bitch! You're lying! I'm going to kill you!" Edgecombe screamed, yanking on Hermione's hair even harder, earning a cry of pain from the Hermione as she furiously attempted to get free, however her attempts were futile.  
"Let go of me!" Hermione yelled, squeezing her eyes shut in pain. She then heard Marietta gasp in a mixture of shock and confusion, her hands freeing Hermione's hair. Opening her eyes, Hermione saw Draco holding the struggling blonde in a neck hold.

"You're wrong, she is my mate." He stated, watching as Hermione's jaw dropped.

 _ **. . . . . . .**_

She could never put her finger on why, but something about feeling the ocean's breeze run through her hair always calmed her down and allowed her to think. Maybe it was the fact that most of her senses were being stimulated and got her mind running. Feeling the wind run through her hair and the sand beneath her bare feet, listening to the sea gulls cry and the children laughing happily, seeing the waves crash against the shore then slowly creep towards her across the sand, smelling the salt in the water and the distinctive aroma of fish and chips being cooked somewhere along the pier, it was a relaxing environment. Others might have found it too noisy, or too windy. But she was perfectly content standing by the water's edge letting her worries fade away.

Letting out a long sigh, Hermione opened her eyes and gazed out at the ocean once again, watching as distant waves got closer by the second. Looking to her left, she noticed a family of five enjoying a picnic, all of them smiling and enjoying one another's company. Looking to her right, she saw an elderly couple walking hand and hand down the coast. Even though the weather wasn't ideal, people managed to have a nice time.

"Hermione? Is everything alright? When you called and asked me to meet you here, you sounded quite distressed. What's happened?" A voice behind her asked. Turning around, she was greeted by the face of Blaise Zabini. She was surprised that he'd actually agreed to meet her, while they were on good terms they never really spent any time together. They were more friends of friends, than actual friends themselves.

"It's about Draco." Hermione stated. What happened with Edgecombe, she wasn't sure what to believe, she wanted to believe that Draco had found out what Harry had planned to trick the woman and then had agreed to join in last minute. But there was something about his eyes, the way he'd looked at her when he'd announced she was his mate. Normally Hermione could tell when someone was lying, but this time she couldn't tell. But Blaise was Draco's best friend. If anyone knew Draco, it was him.

"Has something happened to him? He hasn't been hurt has he?" Blaise asked, clear concern spreading across his face in a matter of mere seconds.

"No, he's fine. Sorry, I should have made that clear from the start. He hasn't been hurt, it's just, well it's a long story." Hermione sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Tell you what, why don't we go get some hot chocolate and sit down? My treat." Blaise offered with a smile, holding his arm out to Hermione. Rolling her eyes with a smile, she linked her arm through his and followed him back to their pier.

Not long later, he'd bought them both a cup of hot chocolate. His had marshmallows on top, hers on the other hand was covered in whipped cream. Even when it came to the little things, she noticed that she and Blaise were quite different.

"So, what's my idiot of a friend done now?" Blaise asked, taking a sip of his beverage.

"Harry and Ron figured out what Edgecombe was planning with Draco, thanks to some help from Pansy. She's obtained a legal contract signifying an arranged marriage between herself and Draco, and with Lucius being released from Azkaban soon she knows he'd testify to being blackmailed to sign it as soon as he's let out. So she was in the process of making a powerful love potion to get Draco to impregnate her. That way, they Malfoys wouldn't be able to force her out of the family, because of that weird tradition they still seem to value after centuries." Hermione started, going back to the beginning rather than diving right in and just announcing what Draco had told her.

"That sneaky little bitch! Tell me you've got her locked up. She deserves to pay for what she's done." Blaise snarled, looking at Hermione with desperation and anger.

"Unfortunately not. We took her in for questioning, and she claimed that the document has been sitting in her Father's office for the past decade encased in glass to protect it from the elements. So naturally we paid her Father a visit. He's currently in hospital suffering from some kind of animal attack. He confirmed her story, was furious we were accusing her of faking such a document. Said we were fools to insinuate his daughter would ever do something so desperate." Hermione scoffed, picking up her hot chocolate and warmed her hands for a moment before taking a small sip from the cup.

"Please, the woman reeks of desperation." Blaise stated, rolling his eyes with irritation.

"But we could hold her there for any longer, we had to let her go. But before that, Harry came up with a plan to try and break her a bit. And it worked. I went to her with a fake story, that I was secretly dating Draco and that he'd discovered after getting the Veela gene that I was his mate. Edgecombe went nuts, started pulling my hair and screaming at me." Hermione continued, keeping eye contact with Blaise.

"Oh sweet Merlin that's brilliant, I'm going to have to buy Harry a drink, that clever bastard. Only he could come up with something like that." Blaise chuckled.

"Only Harry and I knew about the plan, but when Edgecombe started attacking me and screaming out that I was a lair, Draco suddenly appeared and pulled her away. I was going to thank him for helping, but he then announced that I wasn't lying, that I was his mate." Hermione sighed, finishing her story and glanced down at the table.

There was a long silence between them, which was eventually interrupted by a waitress walking over to hand them the bill. After thanking her, Blaise looked over at Hermione, both curiosity and confusion forming into a contorted expression.

"Did his eyes...when he announced you were his mate. Did you notice anything about his eyes?" Blaise asked, locking his gaze with Hermione's, maintaining eye contact.

"I-I don't know. I mean, I hadn't noticed his eyes have a slight gold tint to them before that moment, but it's not like I've spent my entire life gazing into his eyes." Hermione shrugged. Well, that wasn't strictly true. There was that year at Hogwarts, when Draco seemed suddenly so alluring and so mysterious, she couldn't help but gaze at him. Obviously she'd dismissed the thought as quickly as she could, but whenever he entered the room or made his presence known, she was captivated by him.

 _ **~ Wednesday 25th October 1995 ~**_

Thanks to Umbridge and her rein of terror, Hermione felt an even stronger urge to study than ever before. That woman was hell bent on watching her fail, and she was going to be damned if she let that happen. Just because she was a muggle born, that didn't make her any less capable than the other students. Sighing softly, she continued walking down the corridors, carrying a rather heavy collection of books she'd borrowed from the library. However, as she turned around the corner, she failed to notice that someone was headed directly for her. With a loud thump, the two collided and fell to the floor, books scattering everywhere with several pages flying out from the seams.

Wincing it pain, Hermione clutched her now sore ankle before starting to gather the books she'd dropped upon her impact with the second party.

"Watch where you're going Granger!" A cold voice hissed, sending irritation coursing through her body. Dropping the books she was collecting, she turned her gaze towards him and was about to yell to the high heavens about how he should walk slower around corners and that it was all his fault, but she stopped when she was met with his eyes. She was stunned into silence, something about them was different, almost enchanting. She couldn't help but stare, but it didn't take her long to realise she'd been sitting there for a good thirty seconds just staring at him without saying a word.

"I-I'm sorry." She muttered, looking back down at the floor and returned her attention to gathering the discarded books. Why the hell had she apologised to him? It was his fault! But for some reason, she couldn't form the words, instead she'd apologised like some stupid little girl with a crush. She could feel her cheeks burning red now.

"What...what did you just say?" Draco asked, surprise filling his voice.

"You should rinse your ears out Malfoy. I said I'm sorry, maybe it's because I'm the bigger person out of the pair of us, or maybe it's just because I'm nice." Hermione scoffed, her irritation returning to her now that she wasn't staring into his eyes.

Reaching out for the last book, she almost snapped when she saw him pick it up, but waves of shock spread through her when it handed the book over to her.

"I'm...sorry. I should have been slower around that corner. You're...you're not hurt are you?" Draco asked. If she'd have blinked, she would have missed it, but for a moment there was genuine concern in his eyes. Shaking her head, Hermione muttered a soft no, then like that the concern was gone and his smug arrogance returned.

"Good, can't have you throwing me under the bus now can I? I get in enough trouble thanks to you and Potter, not to mention Weasel as well. I don't need any more on my plate right now." He scoffed. Rolling her eyes, Hermione stood up and started walking away from him. Showing a mere ounce of kindness wasn't even possible for him. But as much as she tried to hide it, her limp was made abundantly clear to Draco.

"You lied. You are hurt." He stated, though he made no efforts to help her.

"Just leave me alone Malfoy. It's not like you actually care about my health." Hermione sighed, turning around the corner and not bothering to look back.

 _ **~ Present Day ~**_

"Blaise, please tell me where we're going!" Hermione sighed, not being fond of having her arm yanked by the Wizard in question as he guided her down a long and winding path. As soon as she'd announced the flakes of gold in Draco's eyes, it was almost as if Blaise had been possessed by something. He'd instantly grabbed her and disapparated, when they'd arrived on the other side, it was clear to see they were in some kind of woods, but she had no idea where they actually were on the planet in that moment. Blaise had been dragging her along ever since, maintaining the silence between them.

"I need to see it for myself. If it's true, this changes everything. We can save him." Blaise stated, though it sounded more like he was muttering that to himself than to her.

"Blaise, I can't see him. Not right now, not after what happened earlier." Hermione sighed, trying her best to release herself from Blaise's grip, but he wasn't letting go.

"It will only take a moment, I'll be quick, I promise." Blaise muttered. Then she realised where they were, they'd been approaching Draco's house from behind. She could see the building drawing near through the trees. Her heart was beating frantically in her chest, she wasn't ready to confront him. Not yet, it was too soon.

Then out of the blue, she could see Draco come out of the back door, his eyes searching from left and right until he seemed to find hers in the darkness. Blaise stopped dead in his tracks, looking back at Hermione, then at Draco. No one spoke. Not even when Draco slowly began walking towards the treeline, his strides getting quicker and wider after each step. Blaise let go of Hermione's wrist, taking a step back from the pair. Never before had Hermione been so nervous in her entire life. Each step Draco took closer to her was an extra beat her heart took per minute. But she couldn't force herself to move, to speak or to even close her eyes and pretend it was all a dream. They were locked with his, watching his every movement like her life depended on it. Then, he was right in front of her, looking down at her face and studying ever aspect of it, like it was the last time he was seeing it and wanted to take in every feature. His eyes, they were almost completely gold. It was true, she was his mate. Everything then hit her like a ton of bricks, the responsibility that placed on her, the reality of what the rest of her life would mean. She could feel a strange tingling sensation in her lips, her fingers and feet started to feel incredibly heavy and her vision was going blurry.

"Hermione!" Blaise suddenly gasped. Her body fell, hitting the floor. She could feel the leaves crunching beneath her, she could see Blaise running towards her. But the last thing she saw before her vision went black, was a pair of white wings covering her.

 **. . . . . . .**

Pansy had always been a sceptical woman, she preferred believing in something when she saw it with her own eyes. Now if someone had told her a year ago that today, she would find Draco out in the woods behind his house, growling at anyone who came near him with a pair of white wings sprouting from his back, she'd have called them crazy. But there she stood, at the edge of the woods, watching as Draco protected something with his wings, hissing at Blaise and Theo whenever they tried going near.

"So, what the hell happened?" Pansy asked, her attention turning to the woman beside her. Lacey, or was it Lavender? It had been too long for her to remember.

"From what Ron and Harry told me, Draco revealed to Hermione that she actually was his mate in front of Marietta. Hermione's been spending the rest of the day hiding from him, but Blaise took her back here, and when Draco came outside and approached her she suddenly fainted. He's been sheltering her ever since, and won't let anyone near." Lavender explained. Nodding slightly, Pansy let out a long breath. So, it was Granger? To be fair, she wasn't that surprised. She'd seen the way Draco had been looking at her recently, but even when they were younger he'd always stole glances from her from time to time, he'd secretly watched her from a distance. Though, she'd never tell him that she knew that. She was just good at watching others, learning their body language and reading what it is they truly wanted. Lavender for example, she was scared though she was trying hard not to appear that way. She was glancing over at Ron for reassurance every minute or so, and she seemed to brighten up whenever he smiled.

People were easy to read, once you knew what to look for. Without saying a word, Pansy started to walk forwards and towards Draco, ignoring the protests from Harry. Stopping in front of him, she noticed the red tint in Draco's eyes, so remaining silent she knelt down on the floor and rested her head on her knees. She'd been reading up on Veela behaviour ever since she'd discovered Draco inherited the gene. It had surprised her when she'd noticed that no one present was handling the situation correctly. His mate had been threatened, and being surrounded by so many people was causing him to become distressed and concerned for her safety. By kneeling down, Pansy was revealing she was of no threat to him, and that she just wanted to help.

Looking up slowly, she noticed the amount of red in his eyes had reduced slightly.

"Draco, I'm not going to hurt her, I just want to check and see if she's alright. Will you let me do that?" Pansy asked, keeping her voice as soft as possible. There was a small amount of hesitation, but slowly Draco lifted up one of his wings to reveal Hermione's form pressed up beside him. She looked pale, her lips were practically blue. Not pushing her luck, Pansy made sure to approach slowly and calmly. Any quick movements would surely destroy everything she'd done so far. It was when she was next to Hermione she noticed the woman was shivering ever so slightly.

"She's in shock. The whole situation must have overwhelmed her. Theo, go get a fire going inside. Blaise, find some blankets and set them up on the sofa. Lavender, go get some soup on the go for when she wakes up. Harry, Ron, you're in charge of making tea for the rest of us. Now go." Pansy ordered, watching as everyone left without making any complaints to her instructions. She then turned to Draco, smiling slightly before taking a couple of steps back to allow him the space he needed to get up.

"We need to take her inside and warm her up slowly. While you've been doing a good job, getting her inside will be a lot more comfortable for her. You can sit with her the entire time if you want." Pansy stated, watching as Draco nodded before picking Hermione up in his arms. The wings slowly started to shrink and moved back into his back, disappearing beneath his skin. The sight made Pansy shiver slightly, it was quite unsettling, but she wasn't going to voice that opinion. Not right now anyway.

It didn't take long for everything to fall into place. Draco sat down on the sofa, his back pressed up against the arm rest while Hermione was rested between his legs, her head settled down on his chest. Blaise had fetched a few blankets, which were neatly placed over the pair. Theo had already finished lighting the fire by the time the three came in, while Lavender could be heard making some soup in the kitchen. Harry came out asking Pansy and Draco if they wanted a tea, to which only one of the two nodded. For once, everyone had actually listened to her and done what she'd said. While Pansy may not have been best friends with Hermione, she didn't want to see her suffer either. Learning about what the weight of Draco's words meant, it must have been too much. All they could do now was wait for her to wake up.

In the mean time, idle chit chat and small talk filled the room. It was mainly about work, occasionally drifting to both social and love lives. The weather popped up once or twice, but besides that there was nothing special nor interesting about the conversation. Not in Pansy's opinion anyway. She hated small talk. It bored her to death and she couldn't think of anything more frustrating in the entire world.

"Mmmngn..." A soft voice suddenly moaned, more from pain than anything else. Everyone's attention turned to Hermione, who was now stirring into consciousness.

"Lavender, go get a bowl of soup ready for her, she'll need her strength built back up." Pansy ordered. Nodding softly, Lavender quickly departed from the living room and towards the kitchen, with Ron following not far behind. Recently those two had been attached at the hip. Ever since Lavender's encounter with Greyback, Ron had seemed extra protective over her. Not that it was any of Pansy's business, but if she had a guy surrounding her twenty four seven, she'd get pissed off very quickly.

"Hermione? How do you feel? Are you in any pain?" Pansy asked, kneeling down next to the sofa where both Hermione and Draco were rested.

"Pansy? What...my head...but I'm fine...what happened?" Hermione inquired, her pace of speech slightly slower than usual. Nodding, she placed a hand on Hermione's forehead, assessing her temperature. Noting she was slightly hotter than normal, she removed one of the blankets and folded it neatly before placing it on the coffee table.

"Lavender's bringing you some soup in a moment. You need to eat. You collapsed earlier, my guess is that your body completely shut down from shock." Pansy stated.

"Is...is he ok?" Hermione muttered, her eyes slowly starting to open.

"You can ask him that yourself." Pansy smirked, getting up before heading into the kitchen to see what was taking Lavender so long. Just as she left the room, she heard a yelp of shock and embarrassment escape from Hermione's mouth. In that moment, Pansy didn't bother acting politely, she just let her laughter echo through the corridors.

 **. . . . . . .**

The light from the fire escaped through the window, allowing her to see into the room. Harry Potter and Blaise Zabini were casting curious glances at one another while Theodore Nott refilled the empty cups that rested on the coffee table with tea. Pansy Parkinson had departed from the room mere moments ago, while Hermione Granger was resting on the chest of Draco Malfoy. **Her** Draco Malfoy. Clenching her fists, she ignored the tears falling down her cheeks and looked down at the vile in her hand. It contained a few locks of Hermione's hair from their little tussle earlier that day. The bitch was going to die for what she'd done. No one would take Draco away from her.

"I must say, I am surprised it was you that summoned me here." A dark voice cackled.

"Count yourself lucky you're still breathing after what you did to my Father." Marietta snarled, turning around quickly with anger filling her heart. She didn't expect him to be so close already, he was mere inches away from her face, she could feel his breath.

"So feisty, I like the ones who fight." He chuckled, running a finger down her cheek.

"Touch me again and I will tear you to ribbons. The only reason you're here and still alive is because there's someone I hate even more than you." She hissed, turning back around to watch the events unfold within Draco Malfoy's living room. He was stroking her cheek, dirtying his hands with the Mudblood. She'd pay for tainting him.

"Would that person be Hermione Granger by any chance?" He smirked, approaching her with a slow but sinister stride. He was beside her in a matter of seconds.

"I have a proposition for you, Greyback. I know you want Draco so you can create a creature more powerful than anything in existence. I want Draco because he's rightfully mine, and I will not lose him to that little slag. So, perhaps we can reach a compromise." Marietta started, keeping her furious gaze firmly set on Hermione.

"I'm listening." Greyback shrugged, casting a curious glance her way.

"My Father has a lake house up north, hidden by enchantments in the woods. I'll take you there, and you can carry out your experiments in the basement. I won't tell a soul you're there. You can have Draco for the time being, so you can get what you need from him, but the moment you have that, you hand him over to me alive, so I can get what's mine." Marietta offered, looking over at Greyback with a blank expression.

"And what becomes of Miss Granger?" Greyback inquired, an evil smirking forming.

"Kill her, turn her, rape her for all I care. I want her to suffer. Do we have a deal?" Marietta snarled, offering her hand out to Greyback, who shook it eagerly.

"We have a deal." He stated with a nod, his eyes growing wide with amusement.

"Good. There's no time like the present then. Go fetch." Marietta smirked.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen:**

I can't decided whether you should live or die

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate. Will he find her in time, or will he be too late?

 **Author's Note:** Wow, it's been a little while since I updated huh? Sorry about that, I've recently not been well and was involved in a minor accident so I've been recovering. I really have some bad luck. I'm in the process of looking for a new job so I apologise in advance if my updates are a bit far apart, but hopefully you all like this part! I am sorry that it's slightly shorter than normal, but I didn't have much free time to get this done.

 **Featured Review:** **Coleee13** OH MY GOD! wow that chapter was amazing, filled with happiness, despair and anger to say the least! Please update soon! Xx

 _Aww, thank you so much! It means a lot when people say things like that, because I have moments where I doubt myself and my writing, so comments like that really pick me up when I'm down and restore my faith in myself! Thank you very much!_

 **Special Mentions:** ArielNicholas913  & Snowflake Dazzle

 **Previously…**

"And what becomes of Miss Granger?" Greyback inquired, an evil smirking forming.

"Kill her, turn her, rape her for all I care. I want her to suffer. Do we have a deal?" Marietta snarled, offering her hand out to Greyback, who shook it eagerly.

"We have a deal." He stated with a nod, his eyes growing wide with amusement.

"Good. There's no time like the present then. Go fetch." Marietta smirked.

 _ **. . . . . . .**_

"How could you let him get away?!" Kingsley Shacklebolt demanded, anger filling his voice. Normally, he was a composed and understanding man, but after hearing the news that Fenrir Greyback had not only abducted Draco Malfoy, a known and possibly dangerous Veela, but also Hermione Granger, one of the Ministry's most vital staff, he'd lost his calm and was now making two young men tremble before him in fear.

"It all happened so far Minister, we had no time to react at all." Ronald Weasley stated.

"You're an Auror, Mr. Weasley, it is your job to always be prepared, especially when a known Death Eater is on the loose!" Shacklebolt snapped, resulting in the young red head to hang his head in shame, knowing that every word he'd said had been true.

"And you! I expected much better from you Mr. Potter! You've managed to catch every single one of them so far, what is the problem with Greyback?!" Kingsley scoffed.

"I can assure you Minister, there is no problem on my end." Harry said, his voice clear and calm, he was no longer nervous about the atmosphere Shacklebolt had created.

"Excuse me, would you care to repeat that statement. I'm sure I must have misheard you, because it sounded like you were suggesting someone is aiding Greyback from inside the Ministry." Shacklebolt snarled, a dangerous hatred filling his eyes.

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting Minister. While Greyback is a well known and dangerous criminal, I seriously doubt he would have been able to escape as many times as he has without some help from someone on the inside. In fact, I'm seriously surprised, not to mention concerned, that you haven't come to that conclusion yourself by now. Now if you'll excuse me, but I have to go find my friends since I can't trust anyone in this department to do that any more." Harry stated, standing up from his chair before leaving the office without another word, leaving Shacklebolt's jaw agape.

A few minutes later, Ron found Harry sitting outside the Ministry of Magic, resting his head in his hands. Sighing softly, Ron sat down beside his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder. He'd known how long Harry had been holding onto that theory, and how much he'd hated himself for believing it. Voicing it to Kingsley must have been a real knock to his morals and beliefs, not to mention his respect to Kingsley as well.

"We'll find them mate. Hermione and Draco, and once we do, we can find out whose been causing all this in the first place. Once we've flushed out the rats, we can bring the Ministry out of the dark and begin fixing it." Ron stated confidently.

"I hope you're right." Harry muttered, glancing up at Ron briefly with a weak smile. But his mind was elsewhere, thinking to six hours ago when it had all gone wrong. Looking down, Ron took a deep breath before making his next announcement.

"The funeral is in a few hours. Are you coming?" He asked, waiting for Harry's response. There was a slight pause before he nodded to confirm his attending.

"I need to honour the man that saved my life." Harry muttered. 

_**Six Hours Earlier…**_

Blaise grabbed Lavender and pulled her out of the way just as a window smashed behind her, shielding her from the thousands of shards flying towards her. Moments later, he heard the sound of someone casting an Incandio. Flames engulfed the room in mere seconds, separating them from the rest of their group. In the blink of an eye, the room was being hit with one Bombarda after the other, with very few gaps between.

"Ron!" Lavender's fear filled voice screamed, breaking Blaise out of his shocked state.

"Come on, we have to go!" He snapped, grabbing her wrist before leading her out of the room, before running down the hall as fast as he was able. A terrible feeling in his gut told him that this was the work of Greyback. This wasn't the first time he'd attacked Draco's manor, but why now? And why when there were so many of them to fight against him? Unless he wasn't alone? Shit, was this an ambush?!

"Blaise, look out!" Lavender cried, making him grind to a halt when he was greeted with a hooded figure standing at the end of the hall, preventing their escape.

"Crucio." The figure hissed, their wand aimed for Lavender. Stepping between the curse and the young woman, Blaise took the full hit and fell to the floor.

"Blaise!" Lavender gasped, instantly kneeling beside him, trying to help in any way she could, but through his pain, Blaise managed to push her away and speak weakly.

"Run. Get out. Go." He hissed through gritted teeth. With tears filling her eyes, Lavender stood up and turned around, running back down the hall trying to find another way out of the rapidly burning manor.

"So sweet, sacrificing yourself for her. To bad it will be for nothing." The hooded figure chuckled, looking down over Blaise where he could make out the face behind the voice.

"Edgecombe?" He gasped, then everything went black when the bottom of her shoe collided with his face, rendering him unconscious and vulnerable to the flames. 

_Meanwhile…_

Pansy looked around frantically, trying to make out any figures that might still be in the room. It was then she noticed Theo trapped underneath one of the sofas. Running over she quickly cast a quick Wingardium Leviosa to lift it off him and allow him to move.

"Thanks Pansy." Theo wheezed, getting to his feet almost instantly and picking up his discarded wand that had been knocked out of his hand when the sofa hit him.

"Thank me later, we've still got to get out of here." Pansy scoffed, looking around for a way to get out of the burning building. Glancing over, she noticed a hole where the fireplace used to be, leading outside into the darkness. Well, it was better being out there than being burned alive, she figured. Grabbing Theo's hand, she guided him through the flames and out into the cold brisk night, just as the chimney crumbled behind them. The two glanced at each other, eyes filled with shock, fear and relief.

"Well, I was hoping you two would have perished, but I guess we don't all get what we want." A sinister voice hissed, making them both turn around to see a hooded figure approaching them, wand drawn and at the ready. Just as Pansy reached for hers, the figure cast a Fumos, engulfing them in a dark smoke. Moments later, a rope emerged and wrapped around Pansy's ankle, dragging her towards the figure.

"Pansy!" Theo gasped, running after her as quickly as he could.

"Get the hell out of here! Go find the others!" Pansy ordered before she disappeared into the smoke. Hesitantly, Theo stopped running towards her and turned around, heading back to see if there was anyone else he could possibly save. Pansy was right, if he tried to help her, he'd probably just get taken down in the process. There were other people who needed him right now. He could only hope he made her proud. Sighing in relief, Pansy watched as Theo disappeared into the forest, far out of the figure's reach.

"What is it with you people and sacrificing yourselves? It's getting boring very quickly." The figure groaned, kicking Pansy in the stomach. She yelped in pain, closing her eyes. But when she opened them, they widened at the sight of the person before her. Before she could even begin to question their presence, they kicked her once again, this time directly on her face, knocking her unconscious. 

_Meanwhile…_

Harry grunted in pain, clutching his burnt side as he climbed the stairs to try and find another way out. Hermione was a few steps in front of him, coughing as the smoke started filling her lungs. She was pretty sure she'd heard Lavender screaming at one point, but they couldn't turn back now, they could only hope and pray that everyone was alright. Looking around, Hermione noticed a laundry shoot that led down to the kitchen. If they could fit in it, that would take them down to the back of the house, and allow them to get out through a window. She would have simply cast a Protego to protect them through the flames, but both hers and Harry's wands had been lost in the initial attack. She didn't want to risk going back for the wands in case it resulted in her or Harry getting hurt, or worse.

"Come on Harry, we're almost out." Hermione stated, guiding him towards the laundry shoot at the end of the hall. Opening it, Hermione was revealed to find the opening was big enough to fit them. She then helped Harry climb up onto the edge of the opening, being mindful of his injury. He glanced back at her, giving her a weak smile.

"Thanks Hermione, I'll see you down there." He stated, before pushing himself off the edge and dropped down into the darkness below. Hermione waited a few seconds, allowing Harry time to reach the bottom and get out before she climbed up herself. The last thing she wanted was to crash into him and hurt him even further, but just as she was about to slide off the edge, a hand grabbed her hair and yanked her back. Screaming in pain, Hermione desperately tried fighting against her assailant, but in vain. Moments later, a hand covered her mouth and she could hear a spell being cast. Moments later, her whole body went stiff and she could no longer scream out.  
"Sorry, pretty, but it's over for you. Now, let's go have a reunion with that little Veela boyfriend of yours shall we? I've got big plans for him." A cruel voice chuckled. 

_Meanwhile…_

Draco and Ron had gotten outside fairly quickly, and when they noticed Harry stumbling out of the kitchen they'd instantly gone to his aid. Within moments they'd healed the burn on his side and asked if he'd seen anyone else on his way out. Harry had instantly claimed he and Hermione had found a way to escape together, but noticing the young woman's absence, he started growing concerned, stating that she was right behind him. Panic started filling Draco's entire being, knowing that his mate was still somewhere in that building, possibly hurt, because he hadn't protected her.

"Holy shit! Lav!" Ron suddenly exclaimed, running towards the manor. Looking up, Draco noticed the young woman climbing out of one of the bedroom windows. Moments later, the wall beside her exploded into hundreds of pieces. She was being chased. Cursing under his breath, Draco followed Ron over towards the Manor, with Harry only a few strides behind him. There were tears pouring down the young woman's face, she probably thought she was going to die.

"Hold on Lav!" Ron yelled, but before he could have even thought of a way to help her, the window ledge beneath her feet broke, causing her to begin her rapid decent to the ground. Hearing her scream awoke something in Draco, and without even thinking he pushed Ron out of the way and caught the woman in his arms. The force of catching her knocked him off his feet and back onto the ground, but his increased strength from becoming a Veela saved them both from harm, whereas if someone else had caught her, they would have surely broken something at the very least.

Ron was instantly by their side and helped Lavender up, pulling her into a tight embrace. Harry then offered Draco his hand, pulling the blonde up with a smile.

"Thanks Draco, that was quick thinking." Harry stated.

"I wasn't going to let her die Potter, I'm not that cruel." Draco smirked.

"T-Thanks Draco, you saved my life." Lavender stuttered, shaking slightly from shock. He nodded at her with a soft smile and turned his attention back to the manor, where he saw a hooded figure retreat from the bedroom window Lavender had climbed out of. As much as he wanted to chase after them and beat the living shit out of them, he knew staying in a group was a much better idea. They had strength in their numbers.

"Blaise..! He's still in there…!" Lavender suddenly gasped stated. Draco's heart stopped beating. His friend was still trapped in there? In a building that had started falling apart?! Not bothering to look back, he ran forwards and dove through a window. He had to find Blaise, before it was too late. He could hardly see anything through the flames and the smoke. Blaise had to be there somewhere, he had to be.

"Blaise!" Draco yelled, hoping to get a response from his friend, but there was nothing.

"Draco?!" A new voice called. One he recognised instantly. Hermione. Looking around frantically, he noticed a figure behind some flames. Running over, ignoring the heat on his skin, he ran through the flames, relieved to know his mate was alright. But his heart dropped when he reached the other side, seeing her laying on the floor unconscious. He dropped to her side instantly, pulling her into his arms.

"Hermione. Come on, wake up." He pleaded, checking her pulse. Thankfully she was still breathing, but it was very weak, probably from all the smoke she'd inhaled.

"So sweet to see you've been reunited, but you'll have to save the romance for later. There's much more important things that need your attention right now." A dark voice chuckled. Before Draco could have turned around, he was met with a cold and heavy object hitting the back of his head. He fell forwards instantly, eyes shut as his body slumped over Hermione's and he slowly drifted into unconsciousness. Smirking at his success, Greyback pulled back his hood and watched as Edgecombe approached.

"Nice work, I may have to call on you again in the future." She smiled.

In that moment, Harry had run in to see Greyback picking up Draco and Hermione's unconscious forms, flinging them roughly over his shoulders.

"HEY! Get your filthy paws off them!" He yelled, running over as fast as he could.

"I get the Veela and kill the Potter boy all in one night? Working for you really does have its perks, Miss Edgecombe." Greyback chuckled, pulling out his wand. After seeing it drawn, Harry stopped in his tracks, realising he'd lost his in the fire. He was unarmed and defenceless. He'd run right into his own grave.

"Avada Kedavra!" Greyback yelled, his wand pointed straight at Harry before he and Edgecombe disappeared from sight. In a blink it was over, Harry had shut his eyes, bracing for whatever was going to happen next, but when nothing happened he opened his eyes, thinking Greyback might have missed. However, he was greeted with a horrible sight that disproved his theory completely. Greyback's curse would have hit it's mark, if it hadn't been for Theodore Nott, who had thrown himself in the way, and was now laying lifelessly on the ground, eyes distant and cold. Letting out a shuddered breath, Harry fell to his knees and too shocked and distraught to even speak.

 _ **. . . . . . .**_

 _ **Present Day...**_

"There's an old saying, that death is not an end but merely a new beginning, for those who have done all they can in this life. It is said that death is just a means to take them to a new place so they can help others who need them more than we do. Normally, we say goodbye to our loved ones after they've lived a long and happy life. But sometimes they are taken from us too soon, when we still need them. Theodore Nott was a brave and selfless young man who devoted his soul to redemption, to right the wrongs not only he made, but his family as well. He was a rare person, one this world really needs more of. But he wouldn't want us to be sad today, he'd want us to celebrate all he's done with his life, and think of the good times we shared. So I ask you to raise your glass with me, and toast to the life of Theodore Nott, and the memories of him that we shall all carry with us into the future." Kingsley toasted, raising his goblet of wine into the air. The crowd in front of him soon followed suit, some of them crying as they did. Taking a short sip, Kingsley placed his goblet down onto the podium and looked up to the sky as several colourful explosions from various wands lit up the sky.

"I promise Theo, I will make Greyback pay for this." Kingsley vowed, before looking down and closed his eyes, stopping the tears that were threatening to fall.

In the crowd, Harry watched as the lights lit up the sky, not bothering to hide his tears.

"Did you hear the rumours? Apparently Nott jumped in front of Potter to save him from the Killing Curse. If you ask me, too many of us have died for that man. He needs to take one for the team." One Auror muttered behind him, making him tense instantly.

"Ignore it mate, they don't know what they're talking about." Ron whispered.

"They're right. So many people have died to help me, and for what? What have I done to honour their sacrifices?" Harry scoffed, pushing his way out of the crowd.

"Harry!" Ron called out, trying to follow his hurting friend, but couldn't navigate through the crowd quick enough. This was all his fault, Theo had died in his place, and what for? He was no closer to finding Hermione or Draco. He'd let everyone down.

After a few minutes, he'd gotten far enough away to stop running, pretty sure no one would have been able to follow him. But when he stopped he heard a familiar voice call his name softly, the voice of Ginny. Turning around, he paused a moment before walking over to her, letting her pull him into a hug. In that moment, he finally broke.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen:**

To Your Grave I Spoke, Holding a Red Red Rose

 **Summary:** Four years after the war ended, Draco Malfoy now works alongside Harry Potter as an Auror. Along with others, they work together to track down and capture the last remaining followers of the Dark Lord. During one mission, Draco discovers that not only is he a Veela, but he only has until his twenty third birthday to find his mate. Will he find her in time, or will he be too late?

 **Author's Note:** Thank you all so much for you continued support and your lovely reviews! It means so much to me, and it's given me more motivation to keep writing. Lately I have been in a bit of a rut, but I'm getting back into it slowly. Oh, but a little warning in advance, my birthday is coming up on the 14th of December, so I may be a bit inactive around that time. But I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible.  
 **Featured Review:** **Caitreylove** I'm so sorry to hear of your accident and health problems. But thank you for this chapter even though I'm freaking out about Blaise and Pansy, lol! And amazingly brave choice to have real consequences to actions and let Theo be killed. Gut wrenching and well done.

 _T_ _he fact there have been people who have showed concern about me is so heart warming. I put those notices up there to explain to you guys why I haven't been active, instead of just giving you nothing, but people who show concern and sympathy, I never expected that and it means so much! Concerning Theo, originally it was a huge debate over whether he would die or not (hence the title for the last chapter if anyone noticed that) but I decided that this was the point things got serious, and Theo was going to be the spark that sets it all off. But I was glad to see you saw his death as gut wrenching, instead of disappointing. Thank you for this very lovely review! And enjoy the chapter!_

 **Special Mentions:** Tuonra  & ArielNicholas913

 **Previously…**

After a few minutes, he'd gotten far enough away to stop running, pretty sure no one would have been able to follow him. But when he stopped he heard a familiar voice call his name softly, the voice of Ginny. Turning around, he paused a moment before walking over to her, letting her pull him into a hug. In that moment, he finally broke.

 _ **. . . . . . .**_

It was cold and dark, she could barely see anything in front of her, only mere outlines of objects in the room. Pushing herself up into a seated position, Hermione tried to recall the events that had happened before she was knocked out. Remembering the fire, she couldn't help but panic and hope that everyone had made it out safely.

"W-Who are you?" A soft and frail voice asked from the darkness, making Hermione almost jump out of her skin from shock. It was now getting easier to see in the dark. Just across from her, she could make out a large object that looked like a cage. Sitting inside was a young woman, probably about her age or slightly younger. Her clothes were torn and she was covered in scratches. Large bags rested under her eyes.

"My name is Hermione. What's yours?" Hermione responded, knowing that this poor young woman was probably a foreshadowing of what was going to happen to her.

"Jade. M-My name is Jade." The young woman stated, it was then Hermione noticed the incredibly pale skin and the platinum blonde hair. This woman was a Veela.

"Jade, do you know where we are?" Hermione inquired, hoping that she did.  
"I-I...I don't remember much about the journey here. I-I was with my family, we were celebrating my birthday. Then this man turned up, h-he, he looked like death itself. He grabbed me and my Mother, blind folded us and killed everyone else. We were put into a carriage and left there, covered in blood. My Mother managed to get my blindfold off, but we had already arrived at this place by the time she did. The man got angry that I could see, so he...he took my Mother away, I haven't seen her since. I've only heard her screams." Jade sobbed, bringing her hands up to her face to hide her tears.

In an instant, Hermione's heart dropped into her stomach. This had to be Greyback's doing. Looking around, she knew she had to find a way to get out of there, and quick.

"Jade, when you got here, did you remember seeing anything on the ground? Any hatches or stairs leading down to a lower level?" Hermione asked. There was no sign of any windows, so it led her to believe that they were currently underground, maybe in a basement of sorts, so there was no way to escape undetected, not easily anyway.

"A-At the side of the house, on the right as we approached. There was a small wooden box with a hatch on the top, it was open, and I could see a step ladder leading down." Jade whispered, her voice slightly wobbling and cracked.

"It's probably locked from the outside. There must be another way out of here." Hermione muttered to herself, but before she could even begin to investigate, it was then she noticed the set of iron bars surrounding her. She was in a cage too. It gave her a small inkling of hope, while there may have been a step ladder leading out, if it could be locked from the outside he had no reason to keep them locked up. There must have been another way to escape from the inside, a way he wouldn't notice until it was too late. And it wasn't like he could lock them up in any other room in the house, any room that had a window or a door, they could easily escape from. Just then, a scream of pain filled her ears from directly above. The sound alone made her feel sick, she couldn't even imagine what the poor woman was going through up there.

"Not again. Stop it. Please. Leave her alone! Stop it! STOP!" Jade's pleads echoed throughout the room, increasing gradually in volume and desperation. Her reaction made Hermione think that the poor woman being tortured was Jade's Mother.

She couldn't tell how long it had been, but eventually the screaming stopped, followed by a loud thump of someone falling to the floor. She could hear heavy footsteps walking away, as well as the sound of something being dragged behind them.

"Not again. Not again. Not again." Jade's distressed whispers begged, her eyes seemed to be glassed over and she was almost staring into nothingness.

"Jade, everything's going to be alright. Just stay calm." Hermione instructed, trying to give the poor girl some sense of comfort, but Jade didn't listen, either that or she'd just blocked everything out and couldn't hear Hermione. Out of nowhere, the young blonde started slamming her head back against the bars of the cage, with a lot of force and speed. The footsteps above the stopped, and after hearing two clangs of Jade's head hitting the cage, they resumed once again, doubling their originally walking speed.

"Jade! Stop it! You're going to hurt yourself!" Hermione called out, desperation filling her voice. What had brought on such actions? Was Jade suffering with mental trauma? The sound of chains being undone above them, followed by a lock clicking, made Hermione realise that their captor was now entering through the hatch above them. When the creaking of wood sounded through the room, small amounts of light slowly began to creep in, allowing Hermione to be able to see everything in great detail. That included the blood dripping down from the bars of Jade's cage and onto the floor.

"Jade! Stop!" Hermione pleaded, but with one final slam, Jade's body slumped and fell to the floor of her cage. Letting out a shaky breath, Hermione fell back against the bars and watched helplessly as a cloaked figure reached the bottom of the ladder and approached Jade's cage. The figure paused before letting out a sigh and opened the cage door, kneeling down next to the young girl and placed two fingers on her neck.

"Don't touch her!" Hermione yelled, glaring at the figure opposite her with eyes full of hatred. But the figure ignored her, slowly removing their finger's from Jade's neck before using them to gently close her lifeless eyes. Pulling out their wand, the figure slowly drew a line over Jade's body, and Hermione watched as a faint orange light followed the wand's path. Once the figure was done, the light moved down and into Jade's body, enveloping it in small and gentle looking flames until after about ten seconds, her body vanished and turned into ash.

"Que tu alma rota esté en paz." The figure whispered before standing up.

"What did you say?! Did you curse her?! Hasn't she suffered enough?!" Hermione demanded, moving over as close as she could to the figure, waiting for their response. What she wasn't expecting was for the figure to look over at her, allowing her to meet with the face of a middle aged woman, nearing her later years. The grey hairs were becoming more dominant, and the wrinkles on her face were quite deep.

"I said to her what I say to them all: may your broken soul be at peace." She stated before walking back over the step ladder, leaving Hermione in a state of shock.

"Instead of saving their souls in death, why not save their lives?! They're so young! They have a life to lead, a family to have! Who are you to deny them that?!" Hermione spat. Before the woman started climbing the ladder, she paused and looked over at Hermione with a sadness in her eyes, a gaze that had seen far too much death.

"He never stops calling out for you." She whispered then ascended the ladder without another word, shutting the hatch, leaving Hermione alone in the darkness.

 _ **. . . . . . .**_

She was close, he could feel her fear, her sadness, the loss that flowed through her.

"Where is she you piece of shit?!" He snarled, though his attitude did not go unpunished. With a swift yank on the chain that was wrapped around his neck, Draco fell forwards and landed at the feet of his captor, Fenrir Greyback.

"Please try to understand Draco, she is only here as insurance to make sure you cooperate. I do not plan on hurting her, as long as you follow the rules. But talk to me like that again, and I will show you how much I can make someone suffer." Greyback spat before pulling Draco back up on his feet and then proceeded to guide him down the long hallway. In all honesty, Draco had no idea where they were, from the smells and the sounds around him, he could only presume it was somewhere in the countryside, but that didn't help him narrow things down at all. Whoever owned the house seemed to be of a magical heritage, and a rich one as well. But he knew plenty of Wizards and Witches who owned holiday homes in the countryside, plus that was just those residing in England. He couldn't rule out the possibility this was the property of someone who lived overseas and liked coming to England for a holiday. All the photos had been removed from the wall, he could see the slight colour differentiation from where the frames used to be. They'd probably done that to stop him from discovering whose house it was, either that or the subjects of the photos were just plain annoying.

"Oh, while I think of it, there's someone I'd like you to meet." Greyback chuckled, stopping by a door that rested on their right. Opening it slowly, he then proceeded to push Draco inside quite harshly. But the young man managed to prevent himself from falling over. Inside the room, it was almost pitch black, he could hardly see anything until a pair of glowing white eyes stuck out from the shadows. Before he could even react, a lightning fast blur jumped out from the darkness and collided with him in mere seconds, knocking him off his feet and straight onto the ground. It was when his eyes met those of his assailant that a feeling of nausea shook through his body. Staring down at him, was the same eyes as the woman from his nightmare. The empty white canvass, with no iris, no pupil, just a blank white gaze with no emotion behind it.

"Enough. Let him up." Greyback's voice boomed, bringing Draco back to reality. His heart was beating far too quickly to allow him to think rationally. As the woman walked into the light, he couldn't deny she was exactly as the same from the one in his dream.

"W-What is that thing?" Draco asked, not bothering to hide his fear or concern.

"Now that's a bit rude. She has a name you know. This is Eden, the first of a new breed of Veela, one that will obey only me, and will finally cleanse this world. And it's all thanks to you, and muggle technology if you would believe it." Greyback smirked.

"What do you mean? I had no part in her creation, I've never met her before!" Draco protested, his eyes wide and full of confusion. Chuckling softly, Greyback continued.

"A while ago, I stumbled into a muggle man who caught me on a very bad day. I planned to kill him and eat him right there, but he was adamant he would do anything if I spared his life, so I decided to humour him and told him the only way I'd spare him was if he could somehow help me create an army of magical creatures that would only obey me, and help me create a pure world. To my surprise, he actually said he could." Greyback started, using the chain in his hand to yank Draco back up to his feet. Without waiting, Draco tried to attack the werewolf so he could get away and save Hermione, but Eden grabbed him by the arm and twisted it behind his back, pushing him up against the wall all without batting an eyelid. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't break away from her hold.

"Impressive isn't she? Turns out, this muggle was a doctor, one that had made advancements in his field apparently. As he explained his abilities to me, I realised sparing him had been the right choice. He told me about the secret experiments he was conducting in his own lab at home, and said he would take me there to see what he had created so far. When we got there, I wasn't expecting much, but down in his basement, were these huge glass tubes that went from the floor to the ceiling, filled with some kind of fluid, and inside them, was a young girl, a clone of the doctor's recently deceased daughter. He had taken her...what did he call it? D.N.A, I think, and somehow he made a copy of her without magic. Needless to say I was very impressed, and asked if he could repeat the process. Without hesitating, he told me that he could, however he had run into a little problem." Greyback continued, then handed the chain to Eden before walking over to a bed in the room, where he sat down and made himself comfortable. Draco attempted breaking free once again, but Eden kicked the backs of his knees, making him fall to the ground where she proceeded to hold his head in place, making him watch Greyback as the psychopath spoke.

"Unfortunately the girl I was seeing before me was not the first, before that one there had been many. The doctor had figured out how to increase the rate of the ageing process, making a baby grow into a teenager within just a few weeks, but the problem was that once the clones were out of their glass tubes, they died within a few hours. This is where I had my brilliant idea you see, this is how Eden came to be. When Dolohov visited you at your Mother's charity ball, during your fight with him, he managed to create a small cut on your arm without you noticing, and a vile of that blood was collected. One of the death eaters that escaped delivered it to me, and the doctor was able to extract your Veela gene from the blood, which he then injected into Eden. She is the first to survive the process, and soon she will have hundreds of her brothers and sisters joining her. The doctor told me that with a healthy specimen, I should be able to inject any existing Veela with the combination of yours and Eden's gene, it will overwrite their existing genes, and make them mindless slaves to obey my every command. She is far more powerful than any creature currently in existence, and she will only bow down to me. She has no true mind of her own." Greyback chuckled.

"You're a monster." Draco hissed, glaring at Greyback with as much hatred as he could muster. The man had broken the laws of nature, he had created a life without a soul.

"Tell me something I don't know. Eden, take him to his new mistress. She's been waiting a long time for this moment. Oh, and when you're done with that, go do that little task I assigned you." Greyback ordered. Without responding, Eden let go of Draco, tightening her grip on the end of his chain before walking away from him, dragging him across the floor as she departed from the room and down the hallway.

 _ **. . . . . . .**_

It was a beautiful morning, the sky was a perfect shade of blue and the warmth of the sun eased his otherwise tense body. Letting out a soft sigh, Blaise put down a small bouquet of flowers on Theo's grave before sitting down at the bottom of it.

"It's...strange not having you here. I keep thinking it's all a bad dream that I'm going to wake up from, and that I'm going to see you at work. But every time I walk through that door, your desk is empty. So I know this is real. I just, I don't want to accept it. Harry's taken it pretty hard. I haven't seen him since the funeral. Ginny's told us that he won't come out of their room, that he hardly eats and barely sleeps. He blames himself for what happened to you, but we both know it's not his fault. It's yours for being such a selfless twit. What's Draco going to say when he gets back Theo? How am I going to tell him that one of his best friends is gone?! Because I don't know if I can! Why couldn't you have done something else?! Why didn't you just pull Harry down onto the floor or something so the curse missed you both?! Why did you leave us?!" Blaise sobbed, finally breaking down after holding back his feelings since he'd found out of Theo's death. Theo had always been there when he'd needed him, he'd always helped him when he was in trouble or when he just needed a friend, and now he was gone.

"I miss him too." A soft voice whispered, making Blaise instantly turn around and wipe away his tears. No matter who it was, he didn't want them to see him cry. But he was pleasantly surprised to see that the person who had spoke was none other than Flora.

He hadn't seen her for a while, not since she'd gotten out of St. Mungo's. He'd heard about her going through the turning process recently, but he hadn't gone to visit. While he'd wanted to, he had a job to do and couldn't turn away from it to visit a friend.

"Flora. It's good to see you, how are you feeling?" Blaise asked, standing up quickly.

"Like a monster." She responded with pure honesty. Know she knew she was a Veela.

"Hey, you're not a monster." Blaise protested, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I can grow wings, fangs and claws. Try telling that to the reporters and see where it gets you. Look at what happened to Draco when he first found out. They were all over him, and because I've been the Malfoys' secret child from France, it's going to be ten times worse." Flora sighed, shrugging off his hand from her shoulder gently.

"Theo wouldn't have thought of you any differently, and as long as your family and friends do the same, you don't have anything to worry about. Screw the reporters and what they think, we're all here for you." Blaise assured her, then glanced at Theo's grave once again, feeling the lump in his throat return.

"I could never take that man seriously. One moment he was being the clown of the group, the next he was being dead serious and attempting to do something dangerous. But he was my friend, and if I needed to have a serious talk with him, he wouldn't joke about it, he'd be by my side in an instant. People like that are rare to come by, those who are so selfless they put others before themselves in both small and large ways. Theo sacrificed his time for me, and his life for Harry. And we didn't get the chance to say thank you. That's what's cruel about his fate, that he'll never know how much we appreciated what he did for us, and how much we loved him." Flora muttered. Looking over at her, Blaise could see the tears forming in her eyes. He didn't ask for her permission before he pulled her into a tight hug, holding her as she sobbed onto his shoulder. But before he could attempt to say something comforting, someone suddenly appeared through apparition behind them, landing on the ground with a loud thump. Blaise instantly recognised the young wizard as one of the Aurors. His suit was covered in dust and blood, a panicked look in his eyes sent fear down Blaise's spine.

"What's going on? What the hell happened to you?" Blaise demanded.

"The Ministry! It's fallen!" The Auror wheezed.


End file.
